How to Watch the Kentucky Derby 2025: Date, Start Time, Broadcast Schedule and More

Just about 17 days left. The first of the Triple Crown races is set to begin Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Just 2 minutes – that’s all it will take to decide who takes home the $3.1 million 1st-place cash prize. Sounds outrageous, right? Well, that’s why the Kentucky Derby has rightly earned the moniker ‘The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports.’

Every year, for the last 150 years, the first Saturday of May has seen spectators come to the Churchill Downs racecourse to revel in one of the greatest sporting events in America. Last year, around 150,000 spectators saw Mystik Dan win the legendary race in one of the greatest Derby finishes of all time. But if you want to enjoy ‘The Run for the Roses’ from the comfort of your living room, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

When and where to watch the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks

The 151st edition of the race will take place on May 3rd, 2025. It will be broadcast on NBC, Peacock, and the USA Network. Apart from the cable broadcasts, it will also be livestreamed on Fubo (7 day free trial available) and Peacock. The Kentucky Derby is scheduled to begin at 6:45 pm ET. However, viewers who want to catch the other events such as the Opening Night Coverage and Champions Day Coverage can tune in to Fan Duel TV to watch the live telecast of the Derby Day from 10:30 am onward.

Fan Duel TV’s coverage lasts till noon, after which USA Network and Peacock take over till 2:30 pm ET. And for the remaining races from 2:30 pm till 7:30 pm (including the Kentucky Derby race), you need to tune in to NBC for live television coverage. You can also stream the race on Peacock, NBCSports.com, and the NBC Sports App if you are so inclined. For the races, the gates open at 9 am. The first race is scheduled to take place at 11 am. Mind you, the Kentucky Derby doesn’t take place till 6:45 pm ET.

Tune in to catch a special guest in action

The 2025 Derby race comes with a very special Olympics connection. You know about the ‘Riders Up’ command, right? The iconic signal for the jockeys to mount the horses as they get ready for the ‘Run to the Roses’? The Derby has seen some big names in recent years giving the ‘Riders Up’ command, like Martha Stewart and NFL stalwart Patrick Mahomes.

And this year, that command will be given by gymnastics icon Simone Biles. As the most decorated gymnast ever with 7 Olympic gold medals (and 11 Olympic medals in total), who better to pave the way for the legendary race to start? Surely, you will not want to miss this iconic moment. Other than that, you can also catch the Derby Red Carpet Show, where celebrities and style icons captivate with their elegant suits and classy attire as fashion takes the spotlight. It’s not just the horses, you know!

With the colts set to race, don’t forget about the fillies

The day before the Kentucky Derby brings us the famed Kentucky Oaks. The 3-year-old fillies take their places at the starting gate for a total prize pool of $1.5 million to be distributed among the top 5 horses. Can you catch the Kentucky Oaks race on television? Yes. Fan Duel TV starts the live coverage of the Kentucky Oaks Day from 10:30 am until 1 pm. The gates open at 9 am, just like on Kentucky Derby day, and the first race goes off at 11 am.

But the last race of the Kentucky Oaks doesn’t start till 7:30 pm ET. Where can you watch it? On the USA Network, the Peacock channel, and streaming services. This broadcast coverage extends from 1-6 pm, after which the telecast is taken over by Fan Duel TV again, which brings you the remaining races of the day. Caught up now? So don’t worry if you are not at Churchill Downs. You still won’t miss the action, and you can easily enjoy the exhilarating races on your couch while sipping mint juleps through a straw!

And now for everything apart from the horse racing. The Kentucky Derby is not just a 2-day event of races. No, it’s a whole week of the Kentucky Derby Festival. And let us tell you what it’s all about.

What else is broadcast from Derby Week?

The Kentucky Derby week kicks off on Saturday, April 26. And the opening night will see the post position draw being made for the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby races. The time? 6:57 pm. And it has a touch of drama. Literally. This year’s Opening Night will be based on the 1920s Great Gatsby theme. So, you will see attendees bedecked in golden twenties attire arriving at Churchill Downs to start the festivities. The first race is scheduled at 5 pm, which you will get to watch on Fan Duel TV. The draw will also be shown on the local Wave 3 channel. We then have Dawn at the Downs, a chance for the public to watch their favorite horsed complete their workouts on April 27 and 28.

Then comes the 502’s Day on April 29. Well, this is all about Louisville’s very own. This year, it will showcase ‘Float like a Butterfly’ Live Art, the community art project inspired by local legend, Muhammad Ali’s famous words. Local artist Braylyn Stewart will help attendees create collaborative murals that celebrate the boxer’s resilience and genius. Along with that, the day will see a celebration of local heroes from Louisville who share the same spirit, work ethic, and determination as Muhammad Ali.

They will share their stories of how they have made a difference to the community by following the simple principle of ‘be like Ali.’ The point is to inspire others and see the youth of Louisville become future leaders. Other than that, the races on the day start at 12:45 pm, which will be broadcast on Fan Duel TV. There is also TV coverage scheduled for April 30, which is being called the Champion Day (or the Winsday).

The races start at 12:45 pm, and the last race will take place at 5:25 pm. But what makes the day special is the Charity Post Draw. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it? Well, the day is dedicated to charitable events, fundraising, and showcasing the invaluable work done by the non-profits to make Louisville a vibrant community. Guests buying Winsday tickets through dedicated non-profit channels contribute financially to these causes.

But the Charity Post Draw is a specialty event. Well, basically, 20 out of 50 registered non-profits will be randomly picked, and each one of those 20 will be paired with one of the 20 horses at the Kentucky Derby. So, when a horse wins, the nonprofit paired with it will receive a part of the Derby Week 50/50 Raffle. We can’t say if this event will be on the Fan Duel TV coverage, but watch out for announcements. After all, it’s a cause worth supporting.

As for the final day before the Kentucky Oaks race, May 1 will be the Thurby coverage. It’s a big day with regards to the traditions and culture of the state. The day will celebrate the heritage of Kentucky, be it through the ‘Musical Kentucky’ exhibit or the ‘Iconic Kentucky’ event. ‘Iconic Kentucky’ will proudly celebrate the lives and achievements of some of the most influential personalities of the state, of whom Tori Murden McClure is a notable example.

It also covers institutions and places like the iconic record store ear X-tacy, which, under owner John Timmons, left a lasting legacy for its support of local artists until it was closed down in 2011. And when we are celebrating Kentucky, how can we forget Old Forester, the first bourbon to be sold in sealed glass bottles? All these events are planned on Thurby Day. Obviously, that doesn’t mean it’s an off day for the races. No, the races will start as usual at 12:45 pm and end at 6:47 pm. The coverage duties are taken up by Fan Duel TV as usual. And then comes the Kentucky Oaks.

This is the overview of what’s on offer for those who will be in front of the TV to enjoy the Kentucky Derby Week. And it culminates in the ‘Run to the Roses’, whose viewership numbers simply tell you the legendary status of this race.

What is the viewership of the Kentucky Derby?

Quite simply, the figure stands in the millions. Yes, that’s the Kentucky Derby. Last year, the race saw an average viewership of 16.7 million on NBC. The peak figure stood at 20.1 million between 7 and 7:15 pm ET after Mystik Dan became the champion. Mind you, this is not a fluke figure. The last 11 of the 15 Derby races had seen viewership of over 15 million. Even the Peacock Streaming service saw an Average Minute Audience of 714,000 viewers.

This is the race that Hall of Famer trainers desire. Bob Baffert, Chad Brown, Kenneth McPeek, Brad Cox – come May 3rd, all of them will have a single-minded purpose: to win the Kentucky Derby 2025.