BC TV Coverage Similar to That of 2012

The official television schedule for live coverage of the Breeders' Cup World Championships was released Oct. 21, and it shows all but one hour on the NBC Sports Network. The schedule is similar to that of 2012.

NBC will have a one-hour broadcast from 8-9 p.m. EDT Saturday, Nov. 2, to show the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) from Santa Anita Park. The race is scheduled for 5:35 p.m. PDT (8:35 EDT).

Viewers will have to watch NBC Sports Network, however, for coverage of the rest of the Saturday program during a lengthy broadcast from 3:30-8 p.m. EDT. The first Breeders' Cup race that day is scheduled for 12:05 p.m. PDT (3:05 EDT).

On Friday, Nov. 1, the first Breeders' Cup race is scheduled for 1:45 p.m. PDT. Thus, NBC Sports Network will have live coverage from 4-8 p.m. EDT, with the featured Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I) set for 4:35 p.m. PDT (7:35 EDT).

The NBC Sports Network, according to its web site, is available in about 80 million homes in the United States via cable and satellite systems.

In 2012 Nielsen Company reported NBC Sports Network coverage of the Saturday Breeders' Cup races, minus the Classic, averaged 350,000 viewers throughout the day. The Friday telecast averaged 178,000 viewers.

Both numbers were expectedly down from 2011 when the more broadly distributed ESPN carried the Breeders' Cup.

Last year's Classic telecast on standard NBC channels drew 3.1 million viewers according to Nielsen, up roughly 100% from 2011 when the race was shown on ESPN.

Pre-entries for this year's 14 races were taken Oct. 21 and will be made public late morning Oct. 23.

There will again be two post-position draws Monday, Oct. 28, when the entry deadline will be 10 a.m. PDT. Twelve races will be drawn beginning at 12:30 p.m. at Santa Anita; the Classic and Distaff will be drawn during a reception from 3:30-5:30 p.m. at the racetrack.