Thoroughbred Racing on NBC

=Announcers=

Tom Hammond

Tom Hammond's tenure at NBC began in 1984, when he was named as a co-host of the inaugural Breeders' Cup alongside Dick Enberg. It was supposed to be a one-shot deal for Hammond, but NBC execs were so impressed, he ended up getting a long-term contract.

On March 24, 2001, under two months before NBC was supposed to broadcast the Kentucky Derby for the very first time, Hammond underwent an operation for diverticulitis, a disease that affects the colon. During the surgery, a portion of Hammond's colon was removed. However, even with the short amount of time between the Derby and his operation, Hammond managed to get healthy enough to make his dream of broadcasting his homestate's most famous sporting event become a reality on May 5, 2001.

Hammond wasn't so lucky in October 2002, when he underwent open-heart surgery. He ended up missing the Breeders' Cup that year. Bob Costas took Hammond's place at the hosting desk. It was the only Breeders' Cup Hammond had not been a part of. Costas was, by the way, already a part of NBC's Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing and Breeders' Cup coverage, working as mainly the "story set-up man."

List of announcers (past and present)

*Mike Battaglia
*Donna Brothers
*Charlsie Cantey
*Bob Costas
*Tom Durkin
*Dick Enberg
*Tom Hammond
*Bob Neumeier
*Kenny Rice
*Dave Johnson
*John M. Veitch
*Pete Axthelm
*Harvey Pack
*Sharon Smith
*Trevor Denman
*Jay Randolph
*Gary L. Stevens

The Triple Crown

In October 1999, NBC Sports won the rights to broadcast the three races in 2001. NBC had broadcast the Breeders' Cup from 1984 until 2005 when ESPN took over the rights. In stark contrast to NBC's coverage, ESPN would broadcast the Breeders' Cup for two more hours.

Ratings

Ratings with NBC soared through the roof by over 20 percent. From 2002-2004 the Belmont Stakes had the highest rating of the series.

NBC loses the Belmont stakes

On October 4, 2004, after citing dispute about profit from the deal the New York Racing Association agreed to move the Belmont Stakes to ABC/ESPN starting in 2006. The Derby and Preakness would remain on NBC.

Also, as of May 21, 2005, the VISA Credit Card company, officially withdrew their sponsorship of the U.S. Triple Crown, starting in 2006. It relieved them of paying the $5,000,000 bonus to the owner of the horse that wins the Triple Crown. Triple Crown Productions is now sponsoring the races, as of 2006. The $5 million bonus remains intact.

Some believe this is a result of the New York Racing Association's decision to break with the other two tracks on a television contract. NBC Sports continues the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes rights until 2010. Triple Crown Productions was formed in 1986 with ABC; prior to that, the individual racing associations made their own deals with the TV networks.

Important dates

*1949: NBC airs the first radio broadcast of the Kentucky Derby.

*1999: NBC Sports earns rights to broadcast the Triple Crown series in 2001.

*2005: A week afted losing the Breeders' Cup to ESPN, NBC inks 5 year deals with Churchill Downs and Magna Entertainment Corp.