Viewership for Kentucky Derby highest in 21 years with more then 16 million viewers

Kentucky Derby viewership posts 21-year high

NEW YORK — More than 16 million people watched Super Saver’s win in the Kentucky Derby, making it the most-watched Derby in 21 years.

NBC’s three-hour telecast of the race averaged 16.5 million viewers and drew a 9.8 rating according to the network. The rating was on par with last year’s rating, when Mine That Bird stunned the field as a 50-1 long shot.

The average viewership was the highest since 1989, when 18.5 million watched Sunday Silence win the Run for the Roses.

Ratings for the race have risen 50 percent over the last decade.

NBC will televise the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown, on May 15.