NBC beats Fox for Derby rights

[Alan07]

NBC Sports has reached a five-year deal with Churchill Downs Inc. to broadcast the Kentucky Derby through 2015, the two companies announced on Thursday.

The deal is worth approximately $25 million, or $5 million a year, according to officials with knowledge of the agreement, an amount that is less, per year, than NBC paid for the broadcast rights to the Derby in a previous five-year deal that expired this year. The agreement also includes rights to the Kentucky Oaks and Derby and Oaks day undercard, including coverage of the Kentucky Derby Red Carpet.

The deal also includes the broadcast rights to the Kentucky Oaks, which will be shown on one of NBC’s cable channels. The Oaks is held the Friday before the Derby, and in the past two years, the race has been broadcast on NBC’s Bravo cable channel.

Bidding for the rights started this summer. According to the officials, Fox had sought the rights to the race for the first time, but NBC’s proposal won out.

http://drf.com/news/churchill-downs-...cky-derby-deal

[-BT-]

i'm just happy its gonna be televised


-bt-

[Indian Charlie]

i'm just happy it isn't being shortened to a mile and a sixteenth.

[Thunder Gulch]

""According to NBC, more people watched the 2010 Derby broadcast than any Derby since 1989, with 16.5 million viewers. In 2010, both Churchill and NBC attempted to position the broadcast to attract more women viewers and non-racing fans by focusing on Kentucky culture and the celebrities that typically attend the Derby."

Oh boy. More rich women in hats. I was wondering why they never hunted me down in the infield for an interview.

“We’re excited to extend our relationship with the Derby and our business partnership with Churchill Downs, a partnership that is one of the finest examples of two organizations coming together to build an event,” said Dick Ebersol, the chairman of NBC Universal Sports and Olympics, in a statement.

"Build an event." That's insulting.

[Merlinsky]

Originally Posted by Thunder Gulch

“We’re excited to extend our relationship with the Derby and our business partnership with Churchill Downs, a partnership that is one of the finest examples of two organizations coming together to build an event,” said Dick Ebersol, the chairman of NBC Universal Sports and Olympics, in a statement.

"Build an event." That's insulting.

Not really, that's why the Derby is even the race it is today. It was built into an event, thankfully before "reality tv" ever existed. I just don't want to have to look at anyone from the Jersey Shore cast before the race. Col. Wynn got women to see it as the place to be. It's not so farfetched for Bravo to do the same. I'm just frustrated that we can't have the races on the same channel. It's hard to get NBC to hand it off to ABC even if the Belmont is on the line. They're just not going to work too hard to up another network's ratings. At least on ABC, we get ESPN pulled in for actual coverage of racing. When Bravo's involved, it revolves around food, fashion, and taking wagers on how many gay men who've never been to a racetrack are going to be on television that day.

[Travis Stone]

The Derby is watched by the most people in a long time this year... how can that be a bad thing? I know I've posted about this before, but we as core horse racing fans and handicappers cannot look at the major horse racing broadcasts (even, to some extent, the Breeders' Cup) as extensions of a simulcast signal. Totally different audience. Which is why, in my opinion on a different topic, the funky camera angles are okay... most people we are trying to reach in those broadcasts likes them. The rest of the core horse racing fans are not going to not watch or quit the game because of a blimp view on the far turn.