NBC to use Kentucky Derby as NBA playoff lead-in

As NBC prepares its return to NBA postseason coverage, the network is planning to leverage one of its premier sports telecasts to fuel a large audience.

NBC is planning to schedule an NBA playoff game in the window immediately following the Kentucky Derby, according to Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch, citing NBC Sports executive producer Sam Flood during a Tuesday conference call. Flood also reportedly mentioned NBC will make similar plans following the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes. The Derby aligns with the final weekend of the first round, while the Preakness is scheduled for the final weekend of the conference semifinals.

As Lewis notes, NBC regularly used the Triple Crown as lead-ins for postseason NHL games during its 16-year run with the league, and recently used the races for USFL lead-ins in 2022 and 2023.

NBC’s lead NBA play-by-play voice Mike Tirico will continue his assignment as host of the Kentucky Derby, meaning Noah Eagle will be in line to call any NBA playoff game scheduled for the Derby’s lead-out window.

The decision to schedule an NBA playoff game immediately following the Derby is a wise, if not obvious, choice from NBC. Last year’s Kentucky Derby set a more than three-decade high, averaging 17.7 million viewers on the network. Comparatively, the first round of last year’s NBA playoffs averaged 3.27 million viewers per game, with Game 7 of the Warriors-Rockets series earning a top audience for the first round of 6.6 million. A massive Derby lead-in should allow NBC to earn an audience on the higher end of that range, especially if the NBA game involves compelling teams in a Game 6 or 7.

NBC will begin its NBA postseason run on Sunday with a doubleheader featuring the Eastern Conference eighth seed against the Detroit Pistons followed by the Western Conference seventh seed against the San Antonio Spurs.