NBC Moves Quickly, Picks Up Belmont Stakes

As I wrote last week, thanks to the help of Sports Business Journal, an opportunity presented itself for NBC to broadcast all three races of the Triple Crown after ESPN withdrew from negotiations for the Belmont Stakes. Wasting little time, NBC announced today that it had indeed secured the rights for all three Triple Crown races, bringing the Triple Crown back to the same network for the first time since 2005.

As part of the agreement, NBC will use their sister station Versus to show programming leading up to all three major races. Both NBC and Versus have had the rights to the National Hockey League for the past few seasons.

Coverage for the Kentucky Derby will begin on Versus on the Wednesday before the May 7 race, and Versus will also have pre-race coverage on all three race days. It is not known at this time how much of each undercard Versus will show leading up to the Triple Crown races.

Here are some quotes from some of the parties involved, from The Bloodhorse:


“Everyone at NBC Sports Group is delighted that the Triple Crown has been reassembled,” said NBC Sports Group chairman Dick Ebersol in a statement. “We are now positioned to expand the reach of these iconic events with extensive coverage on Versus.”

Tom Chuckas, president and COO of the Maryland Jockey Club, said in a statement, “We are pleased to renew our broadcast partnership with NBC Sports. It allows us the opportunity to reach more than just sports fans.”

Steve Duncker, New York Racing Association chairman, added, “We are thrilled to return our premier race to NBC Sports, which will be a great partner for the Belmont Stakes.

Posted in: Triple Crown