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Mark your calendars and set your DVRs.
The Kentucky Derby is on TV this week, even some of the pre-Derby action, especially on NBC and ESPN properties.
NBC will air the main event on Saturday, May 2, from 4 – 7 pm EDT.
But the Kentucky Derby is the eighth race on a full card at Churchill Downs that day. ESPN will cover the races prior to the Derby and the excitement at the Downs.
My sources are both The BloodHorse and ESPN. Of course, be sure to check your local listings.
The Today Show
NBC’s morning show will have live coverage on Friday and Saturday, 5/1 and 2. The show’s schedule often depends upon your local NBC affiliate. So,definitely check you listings.
Access Hollywood
Access Hollywood plans Derby coverage this week. Their schedule is unknown, though.
But do a search on their page for “Kentucky Derby.” You’ll find associated pop culture stories without sifting through the other non-horse stuff.
CNBC
Thursday night (4/30 at 9 pm EDT) will be the hour long CNBC special “Run for the Roses: the Kentucky Derby and the Business of Racing.”
Bravo
Food, fashion and fun will be featured on Bravo’s coverage of the Kentucky Oaks on Friday, 5/1, at 5 pm EDT.
The Oaks is the race for 3-year-old fillies. It’s also the race that Louisvillians like to attend instead of the shoulder2shoulder mob scene that is the Kentucky Derby. It’s both sort of and more than “Derby Lite.”
ESPN
At least one of the ESPN channels spends most of the big day at Churchill Downs, only to hand the reins to NBC when they start their coverage.
I have to say that, at the time of this writing early in the week, I’m a little confused by ESPN’s version of the on-air schedule .
I do know that coverage will go pretty much all day. Check your local listings, though. Some Derby programming could end up on ESPN or ESPN 2.
There Could Be More
I do know that one of the Louisville TV stations does an all day Derby coverage package, too. They start before 6 am EDT, before when the gates open at the Downs.
But their coverage area is pretty much limited to Kentucky via the cable systems.
If you do know of more coverage, especially if a national or international audience can access it, please let us know below in the Comments section.
Tags: Derby coverage, ESPN, Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Derby coverage, NBC
April 29th, 2009 at 1:16 am
I’m praying for rain in NYC so I can get out of working the street fair for my job and be able to watch the Derby
April 29th, 2009 at 4:37 am
I understand. I’m working that day, too. We’ll pray for rain here in the Northeast (we need it after the three-day “roast” anyway) but for glorious weather in Kentucky.
April 29th, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Thanks for this list of all the shows. I’m looking forward to the Doc about the business of horse racing on CNBC. The game has certainly changed from a real spectator sport to an off track experience.
April 30th, 2009 at 6:33 am
Hi, Jack. I’m looking forward to that one, too, and its interpretation of various trends in and challenges for the sport.
May 2nd, 2009 at 11:42 am
Thank you and all the other bloggers who can be counted on to do what major media STILL doesn’t understand: how to get time sensitive information positioned on the Internet where we can find it!
Searched for “Kentucky Derby Coverage” and yours was the best information I found on the first page of Google (barely – last entry).
May 2nd, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Thank you! We aim to please.
And thanks for being persistent with Google and finding us. Feel free to return for a visit.