NBC beats Fox for Derby rights

[Travis Stone]

Originally Posted by ARyan

Louisville is the 50th largest TV Market. Just ahead of Buffalo and WBS. It is 0.582% of the total US Television Market. If the % ratings went up was only six tenths of a percent, then maybe this theory holds some water.

In 2009 the ratings were 16.3 million, the first year the Oaks was shown on Bravo. 14.8% increase. This year, the ratings were the highest in 18 years with 16.5 million for a 1% increase. The bump into 2009 was way more than one market, and the increase to this year would represent more than one market if we assumed that zero growth occured everywhere outside of Louisville. Plus, 156k attended the race versus 153k in 2009, so the weather couldn't have been that bad to where every single person in Louisville was watching the race on TV and not anywhere else (including the track).