Derby Race Segment Ties NBC Ratings High

The one-hour race segment of NBC's Kentucky Derby coverage May 1, spanning 5:44-6:46 p.m. ET, tied for the highest-rated since 1992.

According to Nielsen Media Research, the segment received a 9.3 national rating and a 22 share, meaning 22% of the nation's televisions were tuned to Derby coverage in that time period. The 9.3 rating represents some 10,080,000 households. Those figures matched NBC's 2001 race segment numbers as the highest-rated since 1992, when ABC enjoyed a 10.3/30. The 9.3/22 represents a 22% improvement over year-ago numbers of 7.6/20.

The rating peaked at a 10.8/26 from 6-6:30 p.m. ET, when Smarty Jones ran his way into America's hearts. Those numbers were 27% higher than last year's 8.5/21.

National ratings for the pre-race segment (5-5:45 p.m. ET) and the overall telecast are due out Thursday.