|
Pimlico fans entering the infield
Photo Credit: Jeff Snyder
|
BALTIMORE, 05-24-07---NBC Sports announced its Preakness® Stakes coverage on Saturday drew a 4.9 national rating, 13 share for the total program (5-6:50 pm ET) making it the highest rated sporting program of the weekend. The next highest rated show was the NBA playoff game between San Antonio and Utah, which did a 3.0/7.
The complete Preakness broadcast on Saturday drew 7.2 million viewers, 80% better than the Subway Series pitting the Yankees and Mets on Fox (4 million) and 60% more than the Western Conference finals on ABC Sunday (4.4 million).
The race portion of the broadcast (5:40-6:50 pm ET) rated a 5.7/14 as Curlin ran down Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense in the final jumps in the most dramatic Preakness finish in a decade. The pre-race portion (5-5:40 pm ET) drew a 3.7/10.
In seven years on NBC, the Preakness has averaged 9.4 million viewers (race segment), 70% better than the prior seven years on ABC (5.5 million). Since its involvement in the Triple Crown, NBC Sports has been honored with seven Eclipse Awards for its thoroughbred racing coverage, including four for live racing coverage from the Preakness (2002-03-05-06) and one for a feature on War Emblem that aired during the 2002 Preakness telecast. The 2005 and 2006 broadcasts were Sports Emmy finalists for Outstanding Live Sports Special.
The largest crowd ever to witness a sporting event in the state (121,263) packed historic Pimlico Race Course for Preakness 132. It was the seventh consecutive year the on-site attendance exceeded 100,000.
This afternoon, the Maryland Jockey Club’s mutuel department released the final betting numbers for the signature day on the racing calendar. The all-sources handle finished at $87,194,161, including $57,360,494 on the middle jewel of the Triple Crown. The figure is the fourth highest in Preakness day history trailing only 2005 ($91 million), 2004 ($89.9 million) and 2006 ($87.5 million).
“We were very fortunate with the weather and that certainly contributed to the record attendance,” said Maryland Jockey Club president and chief operating officer Lou Raffetto. “We were extremely pleased with the day-the numbers were close to being the second-best of all-time. It was an outstanding race card and the people around the country recognized that and bet on it accordingly. The Preakness turned out to be one of the greatest races in recent years and we hope the rivalry continues in the months to come.”
-MJC-