As the Derby approaches, the burning question on every horse racing fan’s mind is: what channel is the Kentucky Derby on? While there are various means to watch this event, you can livestream it without a cable or paid subscription.
As a hard-core fan, we know you’ve been counting down the days since the last event. You live and exist for those thrilling moments where the thoroughbreds battle it out. Well, this year’s event will be exceptional. So, you need to prepare for the game beforehand.
After all, you don’t want to be caught finding a viewing spot at the last minute, do you? No, that’s why we’ll ensure you get a front-row seat to grab all the action, whether you’re rolling up on your couch or going to Churchill Downs.
In this article, we’ll provide everything you need to know about streaming the Kentucky Derby in 2024, including what channel to watch.
Table of Contents
The Kentucky Derby: What You Should Know
It’s going to be the 150th Derby running. And this is one out of the 14-race lineup scheduled for that day at Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY. The Kentucky Derby, otherwise known as the Run for the Roses, is the first race in horse racing’s triple crown.
Further, it covers the Preakness Stakes (which is held on the third Saturday in May) and the Belmont Stakes (which is held on the first or second Saturday in June). The Kentucky Derby is run by three-year-old thoroughbred horses for a distance of 1¼ miles.
It also features a $5 million purse from which the winner will earn $3.1 million. The race typically lasts two minutes and is billed as the most exciting two minutes in sports.
When is The Kentucky Derby 2024?
The 2024 Kentucky Derby will be held on Saturday, May 4, 2024. The Live TV coverage will start at 2:30 pm ET (that is, 11:30 am PT).
Then, the post time for the 150th Kentucky Derby running is 6:57 pm ET (3:57 pm PT). The Kentucky Derby is on the NBC channel alongside other channels that will be discussed as we progress in this article.
Other details of the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby are:
- Time: 2:30 – 7:30 PM ET
- Riders Up: 6:31 PM ET
- Riders Off: 6:50 PM ET
- Location: Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY
- Channel: NBC
Who Won The 2023 Kentucky Derby?
The 2023 Kentucky Derby, which is the 149th running of the race, was won by the American Thoroughbred Mage, ridden by Jockey Javier Castellano.
The Kentucky Derby 2024: Duration, Live Coverage, TV Schedule
Today, the channels that broadcast the Kentucky Derby will show televised content for over 6 hours. However, the Kentucky Derby is widely known as the most exciting two minutes in sports.
This is because the race is 2,200 yards or 1¼ mile long. Hence, most horses complete the course in two minutes. Meanwhile, the Live coverage begins on FanDuel TV at 10:30 am ET, Saturday, May 4.
Furthermore, the Kentucky Derby TV schedule is on the channels as follows:
- FanDuel TV: 10:30 am – 12:00 pm ET
- Peacock & USA TV: 12:00 pm – 2:20 pm ET
- NBC & Peacock: 2:30 pm – 7:30 pm ET
- NBC and Peacock: 5:00 pm – National anthem
- FanDuel TV: 7:30 pm ET through the final race
How To Watch The Kentucky Derby Live Without Cable
If you’re unable to subscribe for your cable or your cable provider doesn’t have USA Network and NBC, you can stream the Kentucky Derby live on any of these live TV or streaming services below.
Watch Kentucky Derby With Sling TV
You can find the Kentucky Derby on this channel today. Subscribing to Sling TV is an affordable way to stream sports like Kentucky Derby, NBA Playoffs, and NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.
With its Blue tier plan, this streaming service gives you access to your local network affiliate’s live feed and covers ESPN and NFL Network (CBS is excluded). Or, you can upgrade your subscription (with the Orange + Blue tier plan) to cover TBS, TNT, and others.
Meanwhile, the Orange + Blue plan typically goes for $60 monthly. But Sling TV is slashing $25 off the first month for any pricing tier. So, your first month for the Orange + Blue tier plan will now be $35.
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Stream Kentucky Derby For Free With Fubo
Fubo is another channel where you can watch the Kentucky Derby today. In addition to allowing you access to the 2024 Kentucky Derby, this sports-centric platform provides you access to 1,000 hours of DVR storage, hundreds of cable TV channels, and your local TV affiliates.
Furthermore, it has another intriguing feature—a replay feature. This lets you watch/replay sporting events up to 72 hours after they’re aired live. So, consider streaming the Derby on Fubo and you’ll also gain access to network-aired NBA, MLB, and NFL games on your 7-day free trial.
So, start watching now on your computer, tablet, phone, or TV. The Pro tier costs $80 per month and includes over 190 channels.
Watch The Derby Live With Peacock
Peacock is known to provide its subscribers with viewing access to first-class events airing on NBC (such as the Derby), Sunday Night Football games next season, and Olympic events. Thus, it’s one channel where you can watch the Kentucky Derby today.
Further, you can stream Premier League soccer, Big Ten football, and WWE wrestling (including formerly PPV-only events like WrestleMania). You can also enjoy more special 80,000 hours worth of recorded events (including TV series and movies like “Parks and Recreation” and “The Office”).
Note that its Premium package is $6/month or $60 per year.
Hulu + Live TV/ESPN+ Bundle
You can watch the Kentucky Derby tomorrow with this channel—Hulu. The Hulu + Live TV/ESPN+ bundle features 95 channels, which includes USA, NBC, ESPN, and ESPN+. So, guess what? You can now watch beyond tomorrow’s horse race.
Additionally, you’ll gain unlimited DVR storage and access to watch the NFL football next season and NBA Playoffs—all with this bundle. Meanwhile Hulu + Live TV includes Disney+ and ESPN+. So, it’s billed at $77 per month after a 3-day unpaid trial.
Watch The Derby Live With a Digital HDTV Antenna
Finally, you can watch the Kentucky Derby airing live on ABC on TV tomorrow using this channel. It is a cost-effective indoor antenna that covers local over-the-air HDTV channels like Univision, CBS, PBS, NBC, Fox, ABC, and so on.
Interestingly, it has no monthly charges associated. Again, this is not a perfect option if you reside in partially blocked-off places like first-floor apartments or near mountains. The reason is, you might get poor signals or no signals at all.
Overall, it is a very affordable way to watch the Kentucky Derby without a cable. This digital antenna has a 50-mile range and can get tons of HDTV channels, and filter out FM and cellular signals. Another fun fact—it produces high-quality pictures in 1080p HDTV and first-class sound.
How To Stream the Kentucky Derby Audio for Free
You can also listen to the broadcast coverage of the Kentucky Derby for free through NBC sports radio stations. This method comes handy if you’re unable to watch the TV event. However, you can only listen through this medium because it’s a radio broadcast stream.
So, here’s how to stream and listen to the audio for free:
- Go to horseracingradio.net
- Then, click the Play button.
Note that you may find it hard to locate the player because it is surrounded by banner ads. To make things easy, find the HRRN logo with a play button over it. And voila! You can now enjoy your live stream.
Conclusion
In this guide, we have covered all the necessary details on what channel to watch the Kentucky Derby alongside how to stream it in 2024. So, we have prepared you to experience the most exciting two minutes in sports.
Whether you’ll be hosting a Derby viewing party in your home or cheering on riders at Churchill Downs, you’ll enjoy every millisecond of this sport. So, make sure to appear in your finest Derby attire and enjoy the thrill of every moment.