Sovereignty’s win in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby averaged 17.7 million fans on NBC and Peacock, the largest audience for the Run for the Roses since 1989 and the biggest since NBC took over the rights in 2001.

Saturday’s live coverage of the 151st Kentucky Derby delivered its largest audience for NBC since 1989 with an average of 17.7 million viewers. Viewership of the race peaked at 21.8 million viewers, a record for NBC.

NBC Sports host Mike Tirico was a "late scratch" before Saturday's Kentucky Derby after suffering a "significant" nut allergy reaction during coverage of the event. Tirico was set to host the event before unexpectedly being forced to step away late in the afternoon on May 3,