NBC Sports activities will showcase the Longines Kentucky Oaks in primetime for the primary time ever in 2026.
The 152nd Kentucky Oaks, that includes Thoroughbred racing’s greatest 3-year-old fillies, will probably be offered on Friday, Might 1, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET from Churchill Downs on NBC and Peacock. Along with premier racing, Kentucky Oaks traditions centered round style and ladies’s well being advocacy will stay central pillars of the occasion pageantry — now culminating in a spectacular twilight end.
“We’re excited to current the Kentucky Oaks in primetime for the primary time ever,” stated Jon Miller, president, acquisitions & partnerships, NBC Sports activities. “With the Oaks on Friday night time main into the Kentucky Derby on the primary Saturday in Might, we will’t wait to get again to Churchill Downs for an additional historic weekend of racing.”
“By shifting the Kentucky Oaks to primetime, we’re giving one in every of horse racing’s most treasured traditions the nationwide stage it deserves,” Churchill Downs Inc. CEO Invoice Carstanjen stated. “This resolution is rooted in our dedication to rising the game, reaching new audiences and creating unforgettable experiences for our followers.”
The Kentucky Derby stands as America’s oldest frequently held main sporting occasion. The 152nd Kentucky Derby is Saturday, Might 2, 2026, on NBC and Peacock. The 151st Kentucky Derby on Might 3, 2025, was the most-watched run for the roses since 1989, with the viewers peaking at 21.8 million viewers on NBC and Peacock as Sovereignty surged to victory.
In Might 2024, NBC Sports activities and Churchill Downs introduced a multi-year extension of their historic partnership. The connection, which started with the 2001 Kentucky Derby, will make NBC the longest operating dwelling of the Kentucky Derby, as NBCUniversal will change into the primary media firm to current probably the most prestigious occasion in horse racing for 3 a long time (32 editions of the Kentucky Derby from 2001-’32).