For First Time Ever, NBC Sports to Present Kentucky Oaks in Primetime – Friday, May 1, 2026, on NBC and Peacock
Rhea-AI Summary
Churchill Downs (NASDAQ:CHDN) and NBC Sports announced a historic shift of the 152nd Kentucky Oaks to primetime, scheduled for Friday, May 1, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. This marks the first-ever primetime presentation of the prestigious thoroughbred racing event for three-year-old fillies.
The announcement follows the success of the 151st Kentucky Derby, which peaked at 21.8 million viewers. NBC Sports recently extended its partnership with Churchill Downs, securing rights through 2032 and becoming the longest-running broadcaster of the Kentucky Derby with 32 editions.
Positive
- First-ever primetime broadcast slot for Kentucky Oaks, potentially increasing viewership and exposure
- Strong viewership metrics with 21.8 million peak viewers for the 2025 Kentucky Derby
- Extended media partnership with NBC through 2032, ensuring stable broadcasting relationship
Negative
- None.
News Market Reaction 15 Alerts
On the day this news was published, CHDN gained 4.20%, reflecting a moderate positive market reaction. Argus tracked a peak move of +3.7% during that session. Our momentum scanner triggered 15 alerts that day, indicating notable trading interest and price volatility. This price movement added approximately $345M to the company's valuation, bringing the market cap to $8.56B at that time.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
The 152nd Kentucky Derby is Saturday, May 2, 2026, on NBC and Peacock
LOUISVILLE, Ky., July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NBC Sports will showcase the Kentucky Oaks in primetime for the first time ever in 2026, it was announced today by Churchill Downs Incorporated (Nasdaq: CHDN, “CDI”) and NBC Sports.
The 152nd Kentucky Oaks, featuring thoroughbred racing’s best three-year-old fillies, will be presented on Friday, May 1, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. In addition to premier racing, Kentucky Oaks traditions centered around fashion and women’s health advocacy will remain central pillars of the event pageantry—now culminating in a spectacular twilight finish.
“We are excited to present the Kentucky Oaks in primetime for the first time ever,” said Jon Miller, President, Acquisitions & Partnerships, NBC Sports. “With the Oaks on Friday night leading into the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May, we can’t wait to get back to Churchill Downs for another historic weekend of racing.”
“By moving the Kentucky Oaks to primetime, we’re giving one of horse racing’s most treasured traditions the national stage it deserves,” said CDI CEO Bill Carstanjen. “This decision is rooted in our commitment to growing the sport, reaching new audiences and creating unforgettable experiences for our fans.”
The Kentucky Derby stands as America’s oldest continually held major sporting event. The 152nd Kentucky Derby is Saturday, May 2, 2026, on NBC and Peacock. The 151st Kentucky Derby on May 3, 2025, was the most-watched “Run for the Roses” since 1989, with the audience peaking at 21.8 million viewers on NBC and Peacock as Sovereignty ran to victory.
In May 2024, NBC Sports and Churchill Downs announced a multi-year extension of their historic partnership. The relationship, which began with the 2001 Kentucky Derby, will make NBC the longest running home of the Kentucky Derby, as NBCUniversal will become the first media company to present the most prestigious event in horse racing for three decades (32 editions of the Kentucky Derby from 2001-32).
About Churchill Downs Incorporated
Churchill Downs Incorporated (“CDI”) (Nasdaq: CHDN) has been creating extraordinary entertainment experiences for over 150 years, beginning with the company’s most iconic and enduring asset, the Kentucky Derby. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, CDI has expanded through the acquisition, development, and operation of live and historical racing entertainment venues, the growth of online wagering businesses, and the acquisition, development, and operation of regional casino gaming properties. www.churchilldownsincorporated.com
This news release contains various “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the use of terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “will,” “scheduled,” and similar words or similar expressions (or negative versions of such words or expressions), although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Important factors, that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include the following: the occurrence of extraordinary events, such as terrorist attacks, public health threats, civil unrest, and inclement weather, including as a result of climate change; the effect of economic conditions on our consumers' confidence and discretionary spending or our access to credit, including the impact of inflation; changes in, or new interpretations of, applicable tax laws or rulings that could result in additional tax liabilities; the impact of any pandemics, epidemics, or outbreaks of infectious diseases, and related economic matters on our results of operations, financial conditions and prospects; lack of confidence in the integrity of our core businesses or any deterioration in our reputation; negative shifts in public opinion regarding gambling that could result in increased regulation of, or new restrictions on, the gaming industry; loss of key or highly skilled personnel, as well as general disruptions in the general labor market; the impact of significant competition, and the expectation that competition levels will increase; changes in consumer preferences, attendance, wagering, and sponsorships; risks associated with equity investments, strategic alliances and other third-party agreements; inability to respond to rapid technological changes in a timely manner; concentration and evolution of slot machine and historical racing machine (HRM) manufacturing and other technology conditions that could impose additional costs; failure to enter into or maintain agreements with industry constituents, including horsemen and other racetracks; inability to successfully focus on market access and retail operations for our sports betting business and effectively compete; online security risk, including cyber-security breaches, or loss or misuse of our stored information as a result of a breach including customers’ personal information could lead to government enforcement actions or other litigation; costs of compliance with increasingly complex laws and regulations regarding data privacy and protection of personal information; reliance on our technology services and catastrophic events and system failures disrupting our operations; inability to identify, complete, or fully realize the benefits of our proposed acquisitions, divestitures, development of new venues or the expansion of existing facilities on time, on budget, or as planned; difficulty in integrating recent or future acquisitions into our operations; cost overruns and other uncertainties associated with the development of new venues and the expansion of existing facilities; general risks related to real estate ownership and significant expenditures, including risks related to environmental liabilities; personal injury litigation related to injuries occurring at our racetracks; compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or other similar laws and regulations, or applicable anti-money laundering regulations; payment-related risks, such as risk associated with fraudulent credit card or debit card use; work stoppages and labor problems; risks related to pending or future legal proceedings and other actions; highly regulated operations and changes in the regulatory environment could adversely affect our business; restrictions in our debt facilities limiting our flexibility to operate our business; failure to comply with the financial ratios and other covenants in our debt facilities and other indebtedness; increases to interest rates (due to inflation or otherwise), disruption in the credit markets or changes to our credit ratings may adversely affect our business; increase in our insurance costs, or inability to obtain similar insurance coverage in the future, and any inability to recover under our insurance policies for damages sustained at our properties in the event of inclement weather and casualty events; and other factors described under the heading “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
We do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
| Investor Contact: Sam Ullrich | Media Contact: Tonya Abeln | |
| (502) 638-3906 | (502) 386-1742 | |
| Sam.Ullrich@kyderby.com | Tonya.Abeln@kyderby.com | |
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