How to maximise your TV ratings: lessons from the highs and lows of the Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby is marketed as the ‘Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” but a 43% drop in TV ratings in 2020 must have sent shivers up the backs of organisers, sponsors and broadcasters. Thankfully, the figures for 2021 show a significant increase from 2020, and while slightly behind 2018 and 2019, they will provide some re-assurance for all involved.

The general trend for sport ratings in 2021 is towards some return to normality, but the massive dip in 2020 was about more than just Covid-19. The story of the Kentucky Derby provides some lessons that could be applied to any US sport:

• People are creatures of habit – while there was little anyone could do prevent the Derby being run in September rather than May, the event was now out of sequence, both in terms of the overall Triple Crown narrative (Derby-Preakness-Belmont), and with casual sports fan’s lives.  If you’re a casual sports fan you know the Derby is always in May, but if it moves you might not be that much a fan to pick up when it has moved to.
• Not everyone is there for the sport – Casual viewers often need more than just the on-field action to keep them interested. This is a big advantage for racing coverage that can also focus on the fashion and celebrities in attendance. With no crowds in 2020, there was no other story to tell.
• Controversy can be good and bad – The higher rating for 2019 are generally attributed to the historic disqualification of the winner (the first time in the history of the race), while some of the lower ratings in 2020 are down to social justice protests around the event.

Three lessons from the Derby

  If you want to keep your TV ratings high, there are probably three things you should aim for:

1. If you have built a tradition around a certain time of year, try to stick to it whenever possible. Your hardcore fans will follow you anywhere, but many of the rest will get lost.
2. Not everyone is here for the sport. To maximise your ratings try to tell the stories of everyone involved.
3. A strategy around controversy can quickly backfire. Do all you can to avoid it.

Source: SportsProMedia Kentucky Derby TV audience bounces back to 14.5m