NBC Sports to Present Record 15.5 Hours of KENTUCKY DERBY Coverage

By: Apr. 24, 2014
Get Access To Every Broadway Story

Unlock access to every one of the hundreds of articles published daily on BroadwayWorld by logging in with one click.




Existing user? Just click login.

NBC Sports Group will present 15.5 hours of Kentucky Derby coverage, a record for the event, beginning Wednesday, April 30, at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN, and culminating with the 140th running of the Kentucky Derby on NBC, Saturday, May 3. Coverage begins on Saturday at Noon on NBCSN and continues at 4 p.m. ET on NBC.

NBC's Kentucky Derby coverage, which has been honored with the Eclipse Award in the Television-Live Programming category for the past two years, includes 7.5 hours on Derby Day on NBC and NBCSN. Highlights include:

· Live coverage of 12 races on Friday and Saturday - every race in NBC/NBCSN telecast windows
· Live coverage of the Kentucky Derby Draw on Wednesday, April 30, at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN to determine the post positions
· Three hours of "Derby Classics" (featuring recent winners Orb and I'll Have Another) to air on NBCSN

COMMENTATORS: NBC Sports Group coverage of the Kentucky Derby features Bob Costas, a 25-time Emmy Award-winner, and veteran NBC Sports commentator Tom Hammond; analysts Randy Moss and Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey; analysts/handicappers Mike Battaglia and Bob Neumeier; NBCSN host/NBC reporter Laffit Pincay, III; reporters Kenny Rice, Donna Brothers, and Jay Privman, and race caller Larry Collmus. Josh Elliott makes his NBC Sports Group debut on May 2-3, providing a mix of features and interviews at Churchill Downs. Carolyn Manno also makes her Kentucky Derby debut as do Olympic figure skaters and NBC figure skating analysts Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski, who will serve as fashion experts.

The coordinating producer of NBC's horse racing coverage is Rob Hyland, a veteran of the network's horse racing coverage since 2001. The Kentucky Derby is directed by Sunday Night Football and NBC Sports' horse racing director, Drew Esocoff. The coverage on NBCSN is produced by Billy Matthews and directed by Patrick McManus. The executive producer of NBC Sports and NBCSN is Sam Flood, who has produced 11 Triple Crown races for the network.

30½ HOURS OF TRIPLE CROWN COVERAGE: NBC Sports Group will present 30½ hours of Triple Crown coverage this season from Churchill Downs, Pimlico and Belmont, including "classics" from the Derby, Preakness and Belmont, live racing from all three tracks prior to the three Triple Crown races, and post-race coverage of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont on NBCSN. This marks the fourth consecutive year that all three Triple Crown races will air on NBC.

******************************************************************************

NBC SPORTS GROUP TRIPLE CROWN COVERAGE (All Times ET):

KENTUCKY
DERBY
Date Time Event Network
Wed., 4 p.m Kentucky Derby Classics: NBCSN
April 30 . 2013 Winner Orb
5 p.m Kentucky Derby Draw NBCSN
.
Thurs., 4 p.m Kentucky Derby Classics: NBCSN
May 1 . 2012 Winner I'll Have
Another
5 p.m Kentucky Derby Access NBCSN
.
Fri., 2 p.m Kentucky Derby Classics NBCSN
May 2 .
3 p.m Kentucky Oaks NBCSN
.
Sat., 12 Kentucky Derby Saturday NBCSN
May 3 p.m.
4 p.m Kentucky Derby NBC
.
7 p.m Kentucky Derby Post-Race NBCSN
. Show

PREAKNESS STAKES
Date Time Event Network
Fri., May 16 3 p.m. Preakness Classics NBCSN
4 p.m. Black Eyed Susan Stakes NBCSN
Sat., May 17 1 p.m. Preakness Saturday NBCSN
4:30 p.m. Preakness Stakes NBC
6:30 p.m. Preakness Post-Race Show NBCSN

BELMONT STAKES
Date Time Event Network
Fri., June 6 4 p.m. Belmont Stakes Classics NBCSN
5 p.m. Belmont Stakes Access NBCSN
Sat., June 7 2:30 p.m. Belmont Stakes Saturday NBCSN
4:30 p.m. Belmont Stakes NBC
7 p.m. Belmont Stakes Post-Race Show NBCSN

******************************************************************************

NBC SPORTS LIVE Extra KENTUCKY DERBY COVERAGE

NBC Sports Live Extra - the NBC Sports Group's live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets - will stream NBC and NBCSN Kentucky Derby week coverage. The vast majority of the content will be streamed live via "TV Everywhere," the media industry's effort to make quality content available to authenticated customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra (http://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/Users/206100790/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.Outlook/H8J1SBLB/NBCSports.com/liveextra). The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play and on Windows 8 and Windows mobile devices.

Derby Week coverage airing on NBCSN and NBC, including the Kentucky Derby race, will be streamed to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra.

NBC Sports Live Extra's Derby Day coverage includes:

· Four exclusive camera angles that showcase the activity happening across Churchill Downs on Derby day
· Bonus analysis by NBC Sports commentators
· Replays and footage from the key "Road to the Kentucky Derby" prep races

Derby Week coverage will also air on the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via "TV Everywhere," which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs.

******************************************************************************

NBC SPORTS SOCIAL MEDIA AT THE KENTUCKY DERBY

CUSTOM VINES FROM @ORIGIFUL: For the first time, NBC Sports Group will be partnering with Vine video artist Ian Padgham (@Origiful) to create custom Kentucky Derby Vines for on-air, Vine and Twitter. Ian Padgham is an artist, video producer, and social media specialist based out of San Francisco. In 2013 he became passionate about Vine and set up a small business exploring social video for brands. He has several hundred thousand followers on the app, multiple Editors' Pick credits, and his Vines have been featured in publications including Fast Company, CNN, and Forbes.

PADDOCK 140: NBC Sports Group celebrates the 140th running of the Kentucky Derby with the 140 characters that make up a tweet. NBC Sports will have a Twitter driven presence, on-air, online and on Twitter wrapped under the Paddock 140 name. At Churchill Downs, the Paddock 140 will house the Twitter mirror and allow celebrities and VIP guests to tweet directly from the Red Carpet. Celebrities will make their Derby picks onsite at the Paddock 140 through the Twitter Mirror and will be featured on-air during the NBC broadcast. For fans who can't make it to the onsite Paddock 140, within the Kentucky Derby All-Access page (NBCSports.com/Derby) all of the Twitter conversation, photos, video and @Origiful created Vines will be housed in a branded Paddock 140 section, alongside trending horses and Derby related terms all week long. On Twitter, Paddock 140 onsite and online content will be featured within tweets and identified with #Paddock140.

TWITTER MIRROR: For the second year in a row, NBC Sports and Twitter are partnering to have the "Twitter Mirror" present on the Red Carpet at the Derby and on the Pink Carpet during Oaks Day. The "Twitter Mirror" will bring fans closer to the celebrities and VIP action at Churchill Downs. Celebrity and "best-dressed" photos will be pushed out through the @NBCSN Twitter feed and collected and housed at NBCSports.com/Derby. Content from the "Twitter Mirror" will be featured on-air during Derby Day.

KENTUCKY DERBY ALL-ACCESS: Horse racing fans and fans of the elegance and glitz of the Derby can access content from Derby week at a "social center" housed on NBCSports.com. Fans can access and sort social media content from Instagram, Twitter and Vine through various streams including horse racing experts, horses (including the horses themselves, jockeys and trainers), glamour (celebrities, fashion experts), a photos-only section and Vine videos. Kentucky Derby All-Access aggregates what's trending around the Derby and what's hot in the social world. In addition, fans can plug in their first and last names and will be given their 'Horse Name' to be shared on Twitter.

Facebook:

· All week at Facebook.com/NBCSports (https://www.facebook.com/NBCSports?ref=ts&fref=ts), fans will be presented with Derby information, photos and video from Churchill Downs.

Twitter: Viewers and tweeters alike will be encouraged to join the conversation by using the hashtag #KYDERBY. Reminders will appear on screen throughout all of NBC and NBCSN's Kentucky Derby week coverage.

· Fans hosting their own Derby parties will be asked to submit photos with #DerbyParty. Our favorites will be featured on-air.

· On-air integration of live tweets from celebrities, horse-racing experts and @NBCSN will be featured on screen throughout the broadcasts to keep viewers up to date with what's happening and trending on Twitter.
· @NBCSN (https://twitter.com/NBCSN) will live tweet the Kentucky Derby Draw Show on Wednesday, April 30 starting at 5 p.m. ET

Instagram: For 360-degree coverage of behind-the-scenes access to Derby Week, fans can follow @NBCSports on Instagram at Instagram.com/NBCSports (http://instagram.com/NBCSports/%23%20) for the parties, food, fashion and, of course, the races.

Pinterest: The NBC Sports Pinterest account (Pinterest.com/NBCSports) is the perfect place for Derby fans to plan their Derby parties and get ready for the glitz and glamour of Derby week. Fans can access photos and videos around the Derby from NBCSports.com and NBC Sports social channels as well as find recipes and ideas for their ultimate Derby Party.

Vine: NBC Sports will utilize Vine to give fans quick video look-ins at everything that makes up the Kentucky Derby. From morning workouts with the horses, to Millionaire's Row, NBC Sports Vines will give fans the full Derby experience for those that can't make it to the track for Derby Week. Padgham will be creating custom Derby Vines that will be pushed out via the NBC Sports Vine account.



Videos