NEARLY 10 MILLION WATCH PREAKNESS STAKES ON NBC

Most-Watched Preakness Since 2009 Viewership up 20% from Last Year's Preakness

NEW YORK - May 21, 2013 - NBC Sports' coverage of Saturday's Preakness Stakes drew 9.7 million viewers, making it the most-watched Preakness since 2009, and the fourth most-watched dating back to 1990. The viewership for the race is up 20 percent from last year's Preakness (8.1 million), according to official national data provided today by The Nielsen Company.

Saturday's race (5:50-6:39 p.m. ET), won by Oxbow, with jockey Gary Stevens, is the most-watched Preakness Stakes since 2009 when super-filly Rachel Alexandra captivated the country by defeating Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird (10.9 million). It is the fourth most-watched Preakness dating back to 1990, surpassed only by the aforementioned 2009 race, the 2006 Preakness, which featured Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro (10.1 million), and the 2004 Preakness, won by Smarty Jones (11.6 million).

The household rating of 5.9/14 is up 13 percent from last year's race (5.2/13), the highest since 2009 (6.8/16), and the second best since 2006 (6.6/16).

NBC Sports Network's two-hour pre-race show (2:30-4:40 p.m. ET) drew 466,000 viewers, a gain of 99 percent from last year (234,000).

The Preakness viewership gains follow the Kentucky Derby, which drew 16.2 million viewers on NBC, making it the second most-watched Kentucky Derby since 1989. The viewership was up nine percent from last year's Derby (14.8 million) and up 12 percent from the Derby in 2011 (14.5 million).

PREAKNESS A RATINGS SUCCESS ON NBC:

Since NBC began broadcasting the Preakness in 2001, every Preakness telecast on NBC over that period has attracted more viewers than any Preakness telecast on ABC in the previous eight years. Viewership for the Preakness is up an average of 61% in the 13 years on NBC compared to the previous eight years on ABC.

PREAKNESS ON NBC (2001-2013)

Year Viewers Winner
2013 9.7 million Oxbow
2012 8.1 million I'll Have Another
2011 8.8 million Shackleford
2010 8.4 million Lookin at Lucky
2009 10.9 million Rachel Alexandra
2008 7.9 million Big Brown
2007 8.4 million Curlin
2006 10.1 million Bernardini
2005 9.3 million Afleet Alex
2004 11.6 million Smarty Jones
2003 8.6 million Funny Cide
2002 9.2 million War Emblem
2001 8.7 million Point Given

PREAKNESS ON ABC (1993-2000)

Year Viewers Winner
2000 5.5 million Red Bullet
1999 4.9 million Charismatic
1998 5.2 million Real Quiet
1997 6.9 million Silver Charm
1996 5.1 million Louis Quatorze
1995 4.7 million Timber Country
1994 6.5 million Tabasco Cat
1993 7.0 million Prairie Bayou

TOP METERED MARKETS FOR 2013 PREAKNESS STAKES (Race Portion)

1. Baltimore 15.7/32
2. Louisville 15.0/27
3. Oklahoma City 11.2/20
4. Knoxville 11.1/20
5. Ft. Myers 10.6/20
6. West Palm Beach 10.2/20
7. Cincinnati 9.1/18
8. Greensboro 9.0/17
9. Washington D.C. 8.9/21
10. Buffalo 8.6/20
11. Orlando 8.5/19
12. Columbus 8.2/18
13. Detroit 8.0/19
14. Indianapolis 7.6/17
T15. Hartford 7.5/15
T15. Tampa 7.5/15
T15. Las Vegas 7.5/15
18. Boston 7.2/18
19. Tulsa 6.9/14
20. New York 6.7/15

BELMONT ON NBC SPORTS, JUNE 8: In three weeks, NBC Sports Group will present 6 1/2 hours of coverage of the Belmont Stakes from Belmont Race Track in Elmont, N.Y. Coverage begins Friday, June 7 at 4 p.m. ET and continues with the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 8.

Date Time Event Network Fri., June 7 4 p.m. Belmont Classics NBCSN
5 p.m. Live From Belmont NBCSN
Sat., May 18 3 p.m. Belmont Saturday NBCSN
5 p.m. Belmont Stakes NBC
7 p.m. Belmont Post-Race Show NBCSN