Exaggerator's muddy run to victory in Saturday's 141st Preakness Stakes on NBC averaged 9.4 million viewers - up 6% from Triple Crown-winner American Pharoah's first-place finish at Pimlico last year (8.9 million viewers), according to official national data provided today by The Nielsen Company.
NBC's average of 9.4 million viewers also marked the third time in four years that its Preakness Stakes audience topped nine million viewers (9.6 million for California Chrome in 2014; 9.7 million for Oxbow in 2013) - the first such stretch in a decade (9+ million in 2004-2006 for respective Smarty Jones, Afleet Alex, and Bernardini wins in the Preakness). Viewership peaked at 11.4 million viewers from 6:45-7 p.m. ET, as Exaggerator overtook Kentucky Derby-winner Nyquist for the Preakness victory. Nyquist finished third. The 2016 Preakness Stakes on NBC (6:20-7:09 p.m. ET) posted a 5.8/14 HH rating -- up 5% from last year's race (5.5/13). Baltimore, the home of the Preakness Stakes, topped the metered markets with a 19.7 rating/38 share - the race's best rating in the city since 2009 and up 17% from last year. Louisville, the home of the Kentucky Derby, ranked second with a 14.6/28 - an increase of 23% from the 2015 Preakness.
Videos