Overnight television ratings for the 2012 Kentucky Derby fell slightly compared to 2011 numbers. NBC pulled in a 7.2 rating for its two-hour telecast from 5-7 p.m. ET on Saturday, earning the attention of 17 percent of households watching television at that time. In 2011, derby coverage earned a 7.4 rating, though still held a 17 share.
Kentucky Derby 2012: Television Ratings Dip Slightly For 138th Run For The Roses
The actual race portion of the telecast, from 6-7 p.m., earned a 9.0 rating and a 20 share. Those numbers were also down from the previous year. Animal Kingdom’s win in 2011 produced a 9.7 rating and a 22 share. Each ratings point represents roughly 770,000 households, meaning over 500,000 fewer televisions tuned in to I’ll Have Another’s long-shot victory over Bodemeister.
The 138th Run for the Roses still did well relative to other sporting events. Ratings were reportedly higher than this year’s final round of the Masters Tournament and Final Four matchup between Louisville and Kentucky.
For more on the Derby, check out SB Nation’s 2012 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. SB Nation’s horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come will have analysis of (winner’s) Triple Crown chances, and has A Beginner’s Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
Want more video on the Kentucky Derby? Check out SB Nation’s Kentucky Derby playlist on YouTube.
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