By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man – @tvanswerman
TV Answer Man, tell me what will happen with the Kentucky Derby. What channel? Will it be on streaming? Will it be in 4K (hope!!)? Let us know, please. — Tony, Las Vegas.
Tony, NBC will air the 2023 Kentucky Derby this Saturday (May 6) with coverage starting at noon ET and extending until 7:30 p.m. ET. The race is expected to begin at 6:57 p.m. ET so that’s a lot of pre-Derby coverage. (The pre-Derby coverage will include earlier races from Churchill Downs on Saturday as well as analysis of the big race from the network’s team which will include Randy Moss and Jerry Bailey.)
The Kentucky Derby, the first of the three legs of horse racing’s annual Triple Crown, is expected to include 20 3-year-old horses including favorite Forte. Angel of Empire and Practical Move are expected to give Forte a run for his money.
Now, will the race and pre-race activities be available on streaming?
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Answer: Yes. You can stream the broadcast on Peacock, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. Peacock will require a subscription (Peacock plans start at $4.99 a month) and the two NBC-branded outlets will require a subscription to a pay TV service that carries NBC.
As for question two: Will it be available in 4K?
Answer: No. Peacock has never done a live sporting event in 4K and NBC has done very little in the format as well. So the Derby will not be in 4K, although it would certainly look great if it were.
Tony, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman