NBC Sports Group Teams with Buzzfeed, Refinery 29, & Snapchat For Kentucky Derby Social Media Blitz

NBC Sports Group will surround the 144th KENTUCKY DERBY with a social media blitz, including a tweet-powered brooch on the label of lifestyle correspondent Johnny Weir, initiatives with BuzzFeed's "Tasty," Refinery 29 and NBC Sports' "On Her Turf," Snapchat, and social media personalities for #KYDerbyParty. NBC Sports Group will continue to roll out KENTUCKY DERBY coverage across all social platforms throughout the week, feature a Phantom Camera, a high speed video camera used to create super-slow-motion video clips, in the "Peacock Paddock" red carpet set, and more.

NBC Sports Group's more than 15 hours of KENTUCKY DERBY Week coverage begins tomorrow, Thursday, May 3, live at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN. NBC hosts a record five-hour KENTUCKY DERBY Day telecast, Saturday, May 5, at 2:30 p.m. ET. Saturday's live Derby Day coverage begins at Noon ET on NBCSN.

JOHNNY WEIR'S TWEET-POWERED BROOCH: The brooch is back! Following a successful debut in 2016, Johnny Weir will once again be complimenting his look with a tweet-powered brooch in the shape of a small horse on his lapel. Weir is known for his standout Derby style, and NBC Sports will bring the conversation around his hat and KENTUCKY DERBY fashion to life on Derby Day. The more conversation generated on Twitter using the designated hashtags, including #WatchMeNeighNeigh, the faster the horse will gallop and illuminate. The brooch is engineered and designed by digital innovation agency Viget. In 2016, Johnny's brooch activated more than 6 million times on Derby Day.

BUZZFEED'S "TASTY": NBC Sports Group is teaming up with BuzzFeed's "Tasty" platform for a Kentucky Derby-themed recipe, Derby Bourbon Pecan Pie Cheesecake, hosted on its social media pages, to get fans prepped for their Derby parties. NBC will integrate the recipe into its broadcast on Saturday.

REFINERY 29 & NBC SPORTS' "ON HER TURF": "On Her Turf," a media partnership between Refinery 29 and NBC Sports that shares in the celebration and amplification of women in sports, will be spotlighting Derby-related stories throughout the week, including a piece on women throughout the years at the Kentucky Derby, and a day in the life at the Kentucky Derby.

SNAPCHAT LIVE STORY: On Derby Day, Snapchat will host a Live Story for the Derby, allowing users to post from Churchill Downs and from their own viewing parties at home. In addition, Snapchat will host a special Derby-themed lens for fans on its platform.

SOCIAL MEDIA #KYDERBYPARTY: NBC Sports has teamed with 21 different social media personalities with specialties in party planning, food, fashion, and design to get fans prepped for Derby Day. Personalities including Half Baked Harvest (Tieghan Gerard), Hunt for Styles (Gina Ybarra), Studio DIY (Kelly Mindel) and Olivia Rink, will be posting their Derby looks and tips throughout the week.

PEACOCK PADDOCK: As the first stop on the Kentucky Oaks Pink Carpet and KENTUCKY DERBY Red Carpet, the Peacock Paddock will capture the atmosphere at Churchill Downs to share with fans across the country.

Included in the Peacock Paddock is a 55-inch touch screen monitor to showcase social media trends, KENTUCKY DERBY parties around the country, and assist lifestyle correspondents Tara Lipinski, Johnny Weir, and Dylan Dreyer with their segments. As each celebrity begins THE JOURNEY down the pink and red carpets, they will make their celebrity horse pick that will be distributed via NBC Sports' social accounts, step onto the platform to pose for the Phantom Camera to showcase their Derby weekend fashion, and stop and chat with Dreyer for a red carpet interview.

EVERY PLATFORM, EVERY MOMENT: NBC Sports will be everywhere on every social platform during Derby Week, bringing fans closer to the first leg of the Triple Crown. Daily behind-the-scenes access via NBC Sports' Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook pages will highlight exclusive areas at this once-in-a-lifetime event.

KENTUCKY DERBY ALL-ACCESS: Horseracing aficionados and fans of the elegance and glitz of the Derby can access content from Derby Week on NBCSports.com/Kentucky-Derby. Fans can access the full horse racing TV schedule including all Triple Crown races, the Royal Ascot, and The Breeders' Cup World Championships. Also available on the site are downloadable KENTUCKY DERBY party tips, and a photo album showcasing the fashion and atmosphere around Churchill Downs.

NBC SPORTS GROUP AND HORSE RACING: NBC Sports Group is the exclusive home to the most important and prestigious events in horse racing, including the Triple Crown and the Breeders' Cup, Pegasus World Cup Invitational, Dubai World Cup, and the Epsom Derby and the Royal Ascot meet. NBC has been the exclusive home of the KENTUCKY DERBY and the Preakness STAKES since 2001, and the Belmont STAKES since 2011, when NBC Sports Group reassembled the Triple Crown. The 2017 KENTUCKY DERBY posted a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) average of 16.5 million viewers across NBC and NBC Sports Digital platforms - marking the largest KENTUCKY DERBY audience since 1989.

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