How to Watch the 2025 Kentucky Derby on NBC and Peacock
You ready for a rabblerousing edition of "My Old Kentucky Home"?
There's just nothing like the Kentucky Derby. It may just be a perfect sporting event, replete with pageant, gallantry, mint juleps... basically two straight days of it, all leading up to the actual horse race, widely known as the "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" (or "The Fastest Two Minutes" or "The Greatest Two Minutes," depending upon who you ask).
Of course, after 150 years of straight running, perfection has been a longtime coming.
So, you might find yourself asking: Where can you watch this near-perfect sporting event, if you don't happen to be at Churchill Downs in in Louisville, Kentucky during the first weekend in May? Well, that's what NBC (for 25 years now!), USA Network, and Peacock are all about: bringing you right there for all the action. Here's how to watch the 151st Run for the Roses, with all the excitement and glory from Friday's Kentucky Oaks appetizer straight on through to Saturday's main event: the longest continuously held sporting event in the United States, the Kentucky Derby.
RELATED: Everything to Know About the 2025 Kentucky Derby: Date, Time, Location & More
When is the 2025 Kentucky Derby?
The Kentucky Oaks -- the annual Derby precursor which has been running since 1875 -- begins Friday, May 2, at 1 p.m. ET on USA Network.
The 151st Kentucky Derby kicks off Saturday, May 3, starting at 12 p.m. ET.
How to watch the 2025 Kentucky Derby?
This year, the NBC family kicks off its coverage with the Kentucky Oaks -- the annual Derby precursor which has been running since 1875 -- beginning Friday, May 2, at 1 p.m. ET on USA Network.
The 151st Kentucky Derby kicks off the next day, Saturday, May 3, starting at 12 p.m. ET on USA Network, before heading to NBC at 2:30 p.m. ET. Gold Medal gymnast Simone Biles will give the "Riders Up" command during the leadup to the big race, scheduled for a 6:57 p.m. ET post time. The entire day of racing and pageantry can be streamed on Peacock, NBCSports.com, and the NBC Sports app.
Since 2001, NBC has been the place to be for the Kentucky Derby, as it will be at least through 2032, making it the longest running media home of the venerable event.
RELATED: The History of the Kentucky Derby, America's Longest Continuously Held Sporting Event
For all the latest Kentucky Derby intel, including which horses have the best shot at winding up in the Winners Circle to nab that most hallowed garland of roses, head over to NBC Sports, the exclusive home to the most prestigious horse racing events in the land, including the Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
