How to Watch the 2025 Kentucky Derby LIVE
It’s almost time for the Run for the Roses. We’ll help you stream all the fun LIVE from Churchill Downs.
The Kentucky Derby is almost here. On May 3, the top thoroughbreds in the world go head-to-head in The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports. That description is both completely accurate and incomplete. The race that caps off the day is thrilling, but the Derby is about so much more than the final two-minute race.
What Is the Kentucky Derby?
The Kentucky Derby is, at the most basic level, a horse race. The world’s fastest three-year-old thoroughbreds compete in a 1 ¼-mile race that headlines a day of festivities. It’s the first leg of the Triple Crown, followed by the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. The greatest honor for a horse and jockey is to win all three races.
The Kentucky Derby isn’t just the first race of the Triple Crown, it’s also the most popular. It draws bigger crowds and more attention than any other horse race on the calendar. The giant hats worn by spectators, the omnipresent mint juleps, and the traditions going back 151 years, have made the Run for the Roses a prestigious cultural event that must be experienced LIVE.
Where Is the Kentucky Derby Held?
The Kentucky Derby takes place at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY. Churchill Downs has hosted the event annually since its inception in 1875.
Where Can I watch the Kentucky Derby?
The Kentucky Derby, meaning the race itself and all the action from Churchill Downs on Derby Day, will air on NBC and stream LIVE on Peacock. Just download the Peacock app, navigate to Sports and start streaming the biggest horse race of the year.
What Time Is the Kentucky Derby?
The Kentucky Derby will be held on May 3 with coverage starting at 12p ET. You’ll see every race throughout the day and you’ll experience the full atmosphere of Derby Day: The celebrity attendees, the ostentatious hats (fascinators is the proper term) and the massive, excited crowds enjoying fresh mint juleps.
What Can I Expect from the Kentucky Derby?
That’s the best part: We don’t know what to expect. Sure, certain horses are favored to win, but anything can happen on the actual day. These races are unpredictable, and entire races can be won or lost depending on how a horse is feeling that day, what position they’re in at the start, or any other possible variable. Sandman is one horse to watch after he won the Arkansas Derby earlier this year, but Journalism and Sovereignty are also strong contenders. That’s one thing we know we can expect from the Kentucky Derby: Really fun horse names. Other horses racing this year include Owen Almighty, Citizen Bull, Admire Daytona, and more.
Of course there are also the storied Churchill Downs traditions. We all look forward to hearing the band playing “My Old Kentucky Home” as the horses line up at the starting gates. If you’re looking to get into the spirit of Derby Day early, you can check out the Kentucky Oaks. Held the day before the Derby, this is a race for 3-year-old fillies, and it’s the perfect build-up to the festivities of Derby Day. Catch the Kentucky Oaks May 2 at 1p ET on Peacock.
Watch Horse Racing on Peacock.
