Television viewership for the Kentucky Derby reached unprecedented heights Saturday as 24.4 million Americans witnessed Golden Tempo’s remarkable victory at Churchill Downs during the 152nd running of the prestigious horse race.
NBC announced these preliminary viewership numbers Sunday, drawing data from Nielsen and Adobe Analytics sources.
Saturday’s audience surpassed the previous record of 21.8 million viewers from 2025, representing a 12% increase. The dramatic race saw jockey Jose Ortiz masterfully guide Golden Tempo from the back of the pack around the final turn to capture first place.
The victory marked a historic moment as trainer Cherie DeVaux became the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner in the race’s long history.
NBC’s broadcast also achieved the highest average viewership on record with 19.6 million people, surpassing last year’s 17.7 million by approximately 11%.
Digital streaming platforms, primarily through Peacock, also broke records with an average minute audience of 1.3 million viewers, exceeding 2025’s streaming total of 959,000.
The Kentucky Oaks on Friday evening, broadcast in primetime for the first time, also achieved record-breaking numbers. Always A Runner’s decisive victory drew an average of 2.4 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, quadrupling the previous high of 593,000 viewers recorded in 1997 on ESPN.
