Churchill Downs Incorporated and NBC Sports Extend Historic Partnership (2024)

Viewership Peaked at 20.1 Million Viewers – Best-Ever for an NBC Sports Kentucky Derby Presentation

Led by Peaco*ck, 2024 Kentucky Derby is Most Streamed “Run for the Roses” Ever

NBC Sports and Churchill DownsExtend Historic Partnership– NBC and Peaco*ck to Be Media Home of Kentucky Derby through 2032

***

Derby-Winner Mystik Dan Invited to Run in 149thPreakness Stakes — Sat., May 18 at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBC & Peaco*ck

STAMFORD, Conn. (May 05, 2024) – NBCSports’ presentation of the 150thKentucky Derby, a thriller won byMystik Dan, averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of16.7 million viewers– marking thelargest Kentucky Derby audience since 1989(18.5 million viewers on ABC, won by Sunday Silence).

Viewership peaked at20.1 million viewersfrom 7-7:15 p.m. ET, as Mystik Dan edged second-place Sierra Leone and third-place Forever Young in the Kentucky Derby’sfirst three-horse photo finish since 1947. Saturday’s peak audience was the largest ever for an NBC Sports presentation of the Kentucky Derby.

Led by Peaco*ck, the “Run for the Roses” posted NBC Sports’largest streaming audience for a horse racing eventwith an Average Minute Audience (AMA) of 714,000 viewers – nearly doubling last year (371,000).

NBC Sports has averaged 15+ million viewers across all platforms for 11 of the last 15 Kentucky Derby races held in May (2009-2024, excludes 2020 Covid-impacted event which was moved to September).

Yesterday, NBC Sports and Churchill Downsannounced an extension to their historic partnership, with NBC and Peaco*ck continuing to be the media home of the Kentucky Derby through 2032. With the extension, 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).

Additional Kentucky Derby viewership notes:

  • With 16.7 million viewers, the 2024 Kentucky Derby marks a 13% increase from last year’s event (14.8 million) andwill rank asNBC’s most-watched program since the NFL Divisional Playoffs in January.
  • The NBC-TV household rating for the broadcast (6:31-7:24 p.m. ET) was 7.5/27 – up 9% from last year. The 27 share is the highest ever for an NBC Sports Kentucky Derby presentation.

Total Audience Delivery is based upon live-plus-same day fast national figures from Nielsen and digital data from Adobe Analytics.

149TH PREAKNESS STAKES ON NBC AND PEAco*ck, MAY 18:Kentucky Derby winnerMystik Dan has been invited to take the next step towards the Triple Crown at the Preakness Stakes, in two weeks on Saturday, May 18. NBC Sports’ coverage of the 149th Preakness Stakes from Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore, Md., begins with the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes on Friday, May 17, at 4:30 p.m. ET on Peaco*ck. NBC Sports presents the 149th Preakness Stakes on Saturday, May 18, at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peaco*ck, with coverage beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET on CNBC and Peaco*ck.

PREAKNESS STAKES COVERAGE
DateTimeEventPlatform
Fri., May 174:30 p.m.Black-Eyed Susan StakesPeaco*ck
Sat., May 181:30 p.m.Preakness SaturdayCNBC, Peaco*ck
Sat., May 184:30 p.m.Preakness StakesNBC, Peaco*ck

–NBC SPORTS–

About Churchill Downs Incorporated

Churchill Downs Incorporated (“CDI”) (Nasdaq: CHDN) has been creating extraordinary entertainment experiences for nearly 150 years, beginning with the company’s most iconic and enduring asset, the Kentucky Derby. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, CDI has expanded through the development of live and historical racing entertainment venues, the growth of the TwinSpires horse racing online wagering business and the operation and development 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; additional or increased taxes and fees; the impact of any pandemics, epidemics, or outbreaks of infectious diseases, including possible new variants of COVID-19, 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; 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 horsem*n and other racetracks; inability to successfully focus on market access and retail operations for our TwinSpires 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; 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.

Media Contacts

Tonya Abeln
VP of Corporate Communications
Churchill Downs Incorporated

Phone: (502) 386-1742

Email: [emailprotected]

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May 4, 2024 Mystik Dan Wins the Historic 150th Running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve Churchill Downs Incorporated (Nasdaq: CHDN) (the “Company”, “CDI”) announced today that a jubilant crowd of nearly 157,000 Derby fans gathered at Churchill Downs Racetrack (“Churchill Downs”) to celebrate and witness Mystik Dan claim the Garland of Roses at the 150thrunning of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve at 18-1 odds under mostly cloudy skies.Read More
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Churchill Downs Incorporated and NBC Sports Extend Historic Partnership (2024)

FAQs

Churchill Downs Incorporated and NBC Sports Extend Historic Partnership? ›

Yesterday, NBC Sports and Churchill Downs announced an extension to their historic partnership, with NBC and Peaco*ck continuing to be the media home of the Kentucky Derby

Derby
A derby (UK: /ˈdɑːrbi/ DAR-bee, US: /ˈdɜːrbi/ DUR-bee) is a type of horse race named after the Derby Stakes run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in England. That was in turn named after Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby, who inaugurated the race in 1780.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Derby_(horse_race)
through 2032.

What company owns Churchill Downs? ›

Churchill Downs Incorporated is the parent company of Churchill Downs. The company has evolved from one racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky, to a multi American-state-wide, publicly traded company with racetracks, casinos and an online wagering company among its portfolio of businesses. U.S.

How much are the tickets for the Kentucky Derby 2024? ›

Tickets can be purchased directly from the Kentucky Derby official website. An Infield General Admission ticket, which gets you in the door, costs $130. This is as basic as basic admission gets for the Derby.

Is Derby City Gaming owned by Churchill Downs? ›

A proud member of the Churchill Downs family, Derby City Gaming opened on September 14, 2018, as the first and only gaming facility in Louisville.

Who are the largest shareholders of Churchill Downs? ›

Institutional investors own over 50% of the company, so together than can probably strongly influence board decisions. Churchill Downs is not owned by hedge funds. The company's largest shareholder is Capital Research and Management Company, with ownership of 12%.

How much money does Churchill Downs make during the Derby? ›

In 2018 when Derby City Gaming opened, Churchill Downs' total racing prize purse for the year was nearly $39 million. This year, it will top $86 million, including $5 million for the Kentucky Derby (compared to $2 million for the Belmont Stakes and $1.5 million for The Preakness).

Does Churchill Downs own any casinos? ›

It now owns 30 casinos and historical racing facilities from Maine to Florida and west to Sioux City, Iowa. It owned six a decade ago, excluding off-track-betting parlors. The company's total gambling revenue has more than tripled since 2013, to nearly $1 billion in 2023, excluding historical racing.

How many properties does Churchill Downs own? ›

Churchill Downs is one of 43 properties owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated. The following ownership information is a subset of that available in the Gaming Business Directory published by Casino City Press. For more information about Gaming Business Directory products visit www.CasinoCityPress.com.

Does Churchill Downs own Del Lago Casino? ›

del Lago Resort & Casino is one of 43 properties owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated.

How old are horses when they run the Kentucky Derby? ›

The Derby field is limited to three-year-olds and, since 1975, to 20 horses; fillies carry 121 pounds (55 kg) and colts 126 pounds (57 kg).

Who is the best racehorse in 2024? ›

Top 100 Horses by North American Race Earnings.
#HorseWins
1Mystik Dan2
2Sierra Leone2
3National Treasure1
4Seize the Grey3
35 more rows

Can a mare run in the Derby? ›

ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY AND ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY OAKS RULES. If a filly wants to run in the Kentucky Derby she can, but she'll have to earn her way into the field by accumulating points against open company just like the rest of the colts and geldings.

Who are Churchill owned by? ›

Since February 2012, Churchill is part of the Direct Line Group; policies are underwritten by the parent United Kingdom Insurance Limited.

Who runs Churchill Downs? ›

The racetrack is owned and operated by Churchill Downs Incorporated.

Who owns the rights to the Kentucky Derby? ›

STAMFORD, Conn. -- The Kentucky Derby will remain on NBC through 2032 after the network and Churchill Downs Inc. extended their contract, announcing it hours before the running of the 150th race Saturday. The race switched to NBC in 2001 after airing on ABC from 1975 to 2000 and CBS from 1952 to 1974.

Who bought Chartwell for Churchill? ›

It was a group of friends and admirers who bought Chartwell for the Churchills and immediately gave it to the National Trust. Their one condition was that Winston and Clementine could continue to live there for as long as they wished, after which it would be opened to the public.

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