Everything is a television show these days and every moment we have is an opportunity to create content. The Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks are no different as Louisville locals are feeling the squeeze from the increased detachment from their flagship events.
This year marked the first time in its history that the Kentucky Oaks, the main event for Friday at the Kentucky Derby weekend featuring three year-old fillies, was run in primetime.
Always a Runner emerged victorious in the race under the lights at Churchill Downs. But according to the AP report, the late start time for the race meant large amounts of empty seats at the famed racetrack. The move into primetime may have increased the glitz and glamour of turning the Oaks into must-see TV and been a benefit for television ratings, but Louisville locals have not seen it the same way.
In a story ran by the New York Times on Friday, it detailed the dissatisfaction with NBC and Churchill Downs messing with tradition and impacting local businesses by pushing back the Oaks start from its traditional 6 p.m. slot to an 8:40 p.m. post time.
Not this weekend, though, when the Derby happens for the 152nd time. Pat Francis, whose family has owned the steakhouse since 1958, is closing his doors on both Friday and Saturday to protest how Churchill Downs Inc., the racetrack’s owner, has transformed what had long been a community event into what he sees as a corporate cash grab.
The Times talked to one local steakhouse owner who was closing his business in protest on Friday and Saturday this week over the moves from both NBC and Churchill Downs.
The late start, Mr. Francis said, will dissuade racegoers from traveling across town for dinner or a drink after the race, putting a crimp in what should be the biggest night of the year for restaurants in Louisville, Ky. Many racegoers typically arrive at the track in the early afternoon and stay for a number of races that occur before the Oaks, making an early dinner unfeasible.
“They are trying to cut us out of the equation,” Mr. Francis said. “It’s terrible for small businesses. The only thing I see is greed.”
The frustrations have been brewing in Louisville for years, as more residents complain about how Churchill Downs and NBC, which airs the race, have created a moneymaking spectacle at the expense of the local community.
The Times also quoted another local resident who stated, “Churchill Downs has officially decided the Kentucky Oaks belongs to NBC, not Louisville.” Unfortunately for those locals who are upset by the move, the Oaks will air in primetime for at least the next six years on NBC.
The Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby are not outliers in modern times, though. The trend these days is to be trendy at all costs. Even this year’s Masters, a bulwark of tradition, ran the content rat race with celebrities at the Par 3 contest and more stories about garden gnomes from the merch shop than Amen Corner flooding social media. It’s not enough just to focus on the athletes anymore, it’s the Honey Deuce drink at the US Open that has to steal the headlines.
It’s all about the sizzle, and not so much about the steak. Television money is what makes the world go round, so it’s only natural for NBC to drive the train since they are paying Churchill Downs tens of millions of dollars to air the full weekend of racing. But it’s just one more example that sporting events these days seem like they are more about drawing influencers than serving fans.
About Matt Yoder