NBC's coverage of the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships Oct. 30 from Lone Star Park drew a smaller television audience than the 2003 telecast from Santa Anita Park, according to overnight ratings.
The five-hour telecast from 1 p.m.-6 p.m. eastern time registered a 1.94 rating, down 14% from the 2.2 rating a year ago. Each rating point represents 740,000 households. The overnights measure viewership in 55 major markets nationally.
The Breeders' Cup telecast was up against serious competition Saturday afternoon, with CBS televising the college football game between Georgia and Florida, and ABC also showing top gridiron rivalries, with most of the country getting Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State and Michigan vs. Michigan State.
The locals in Dallas who didn't get out to see the Breeders' Cup live did watch the event on television, as the city registered a 4.1 rating, highest of the cities measured. Viewership for the telecast peaked for the running of the Breeders' Cup Classic - Powered by Dodge at 5:30 p.m. eastern, which registered a 2.45.