Even before the first mint julep is poured on Saturday, the Kentucky Derby has already planted a flag as a growing sports-media property.
On Friday, NBC aired the Kentucky Oaks—the Derby’s filly counterpart—in primetime for the first time. Previously run in the late afternoon, the Oaks’s shift to an 8 p.m. ET time slot says plenty about how valuable NBC views the entire weekend at Churchill Downs.
“I think it’s going to [put] the Kentucky Oaks, which is one of the best races on the racing calendar, in front of so many eyeballs and so many people,” NBC Sports senior producer Lindsay Schanzer said on a conference call earlier this week. “It’s going to be great for Churchill Downs, great for the industry, and it’s going to kick off the weekend in a really strong way.”
But while the Oaks enjoyed its biggest platform yet, the Derby remains the weekend’s main event. The race has established itself as one of NBC’s most reliable properties, with 2025’s event drawing 17.7 million viewers, its most since 1989.
Coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. ET, with the Run for the Roses scheduled for 6:57 p.m. ET. And regardless of the race outcome or its ratings success, the Derby will be significant for NBC from a talent standpoint.
Donna’s Last Ride
Donna Brothers’s horseback interview with the winning jockey following Saturday’s race will be her last. Earlier this week, the longtime on-track reporter revealed this will be her final Kentucky Derby, an event she’s covered for NBC Sports since 2000.
“When I started covering horse racing for NBC Sports, I had just stopped riding three years prior,” Brothers said. “And I don’t want to be there so long that all the jockeys on the racetrack are jockeys that never rode with me and didn’t know me as a jockey.”
As she reflected on her career, Brothers paid tribute to one of her predecessors, Charlsie Cantey, calling the former reporter and analyst a “trailblazer.”
“I think I was 42 when she retired when she was 60. And I thought, ‘Why would she retire now? She’s still so good. She looks great,’” Brothers said. “Then by the time I hit 52, I thought, ‘I don’t know if I can make it till I’m 60.’ But I have made it till I’m 60. I feel like it’s just time to pass the baton.”
Fanta for Gen Z?
Like all sports-media properties, the Kentucky Derby also wants to appeal to younger viewers. NBC Sports believes it may have found its answer in John Fanta.
Best known for his work as a college basketball play-by-play announcer, the enthusiastic Fanta has seen his responsibilities grow since joining NBC last August. In addition to college basketball, the Cleveland native has recently contributed to the network’s college football, NFL, and NBA coverage.
At the Kentucky Derby, he’ll serve as a reporter primarily located in the infield of Churchill Downs. And although he may not be a traditional influencer or celebrity, NBC is confident the Seton Hall alum will be able to connect with one of its most coveted demographics.
“It’s where the energy is. It’s where the youth, for the most part, come to watch the races,” Schanzer said of the infield. “John Fanta’s youthful energy will be the perfect steward of that part of the Derby conversation. … I think John will bring his A game.”
