Filly Drives Preakness TV Ratings Up

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The NBC Sports broadcast of the Blackberry Preakness Stakes (gr. I) in which Rachel Alexandra became the first filly in 85 years to win the race, had the highest overnight rating since 2004 and the second-highest rating in nearly two decades. 

The race portion (6:00-6:45 p.m. ET) earned an overnight rating of 7.9 and an 18 share, a gain of 27 percent over last year's race (6.2/14) when Big Brown won to take the first two legs of the Triple Crown.  The overnight rating for yesterday's race portion was the highest since 2004 (9.2/20).

All of the segments of NBC Sports' broadcast yesterday showed significant ratings gains:

- The total program (5-6:45) received an overnight rating of 6.3 and a share of 15, up 24 percent from last year (4.7/12), the highest since 2004 (7.2/16), and the second-highest since 1990 (7.8/20).
 
- The Preakness Stakes special (4:30-5 p.m. ET) posted an overnight rating of 2.7 and a 7 share, up 42 percent from last year (1.9/5).

- The pre-race (5-6 p.m. ET) produced a 5.1/12, up 46 percent from last year (3.5/9).

- The rating peaked from 6-6:30 p.m. ET at an 8.6/19.

Top 20 Markets for the Preakness (Race Portion):

1) Baltimore               25.1/51

2) Louisville               21.3/38

3) Ft. Myers                17.3/32

4) West Palm Beach   14.8/27

5) Columbus               13.3/26

6) Buffalo                   13.0/25

7) Dayton                    11.7/24

8) Providence             11.5/27

T9) Tampa                  11.2/23

T9) Orlando                11.2/22

11) Albuquerque         10.9/24

12) Richmond             10.8/21

13) Pittsburgh             10.7/20

T14) Indianapolis       10.5/22

T14) Hartford             10.5/21

16) Nashville              10.4/20

17) Knoxville             10.0/18

18) Memphis              9.6/18

T19) Cincinnati          9.3/18

T19) Greenville          9.3/17