Here's how to watch the 2024 Kentucky Derby online from anywhere. The Kentucky Derby is one of the most prestigious horse races in the world and is dubbed "The Most Exciting Two Minutes In Sports". And even more exciting if you land the winner! Expect today's 150th running of the Kentucky Derby to be a good one too. After some miserable looking weather, the skies above Churchill Downs have cleared and the dirt turf has been upgraded to the fast track. The race begins shortly.
Fans in Ireland can watch a free Kentucky Derby live stream on Virgin Media Player. Make sure to use a VPN to watch if you're an Irish fan trying to access your streaming service from abroad.
US: Peacock
UK: Sky TV
FREE: Virgin Media (Ireland)
Watch abroad with a VPN
The crown jewel of the US racing calendar, the Kentucky Derby has plenty of history, starting way back in 1875. Among the favorites this year is Sierra Leone, who's been widely tipped for victory. Other horses near the top of the market and well-fancied include Fierceness, who is the favorite at the time of writing and Catching Freedom.
However, we wouldn't put you off backing an outsider. After all, last year’s race was won by 15-1 shot Mage, while there was an even bigger shock the previous year when 80-1 chance Red Strike triumphed. Only one horse, Donerail at 91-1, has won the race at bigger odds and that was back in 1913!
Run over 10 furlongs (1 1/4 mile), the Kentucky Derby is the first leg of the Triple Crown, which is completed by the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes.
How to watch the 2024 Kentucky Derby online in the US
The 2024 Kentucky Derby will be shown on Saturday, May 4 from 2.30 pm ET on NBC. Derby post time is 6.57 pm ET. If you want to catch the early races on the card, they are on the USA Network and Peacock, with the action on NBC from 2.30 pm. Another live stream option is NBCSports.com and the NBC sports app.
You can also watch the 2024 Kentucky Oaks on Friday, May 3, with coverage beginning at 1 pm ET on the USA Network and streaming via Peacock.
NBC, one of the four major broadcast networks in the US, is available to all TV households through any traditional pay-TV subscription service or via local signals that can be received by a TV antenna.
The network is also available on live TV streaming services, including FuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV (the USA Network is also carried by these services). If you have any of these subscription services, you can watch the Kentucky Derby coverage via NBCSports.com or the NBC Sports app.
To stream on Peacock, you need to be a Peacock Premium subscriber.
How to watch 2024 Kentucky Derby online and in the UK
Sky Sports Racing will be showing the 150th Kentucky Derby live for UK racing fans. Sky Sports Racing is also available through Now TV, Sky Go and Sky Sports Mobile. Sign up for Now TV.
How to watch 2024 Kentucky Derby everywhere else
If you're going to be away from your normal TV setup but still want to watch the big race, you might run into some problems. Thankfully, you can solve this exact issue with a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
A VPN lets you change your IP address to that of the area of what you want to watch, meaning you can tune in even if you're not there. Our favorite is NordVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar.
How to use a VPN to watch any stream
- Download the app at NordVPN
- Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch (UK, US, etc)
- Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!
What time is the Kentucky Derby 2024 race?
Post time for the 2024 Kentucky Derby is 6:57 pm ET/11:57 pm UK time.
There are an amazing 14 races on the card on Saturday. The first race is scheduled for 10:30 am ET. The Kentucky Derby is the 12th race of the day.
Which horses are running in the Kentucky Derby 2024?
The horses due to run in the Kentucky Derby are:
- Dornoch
- Sierra Leone
- Mystik Dan
- Catching Freedom
- Catalytic
- Just Steel
- Honor Marie
- Just A Touch
Encino(Scratched)- T O Password
- Forever Young
- Track Phantom
- West Saratoga
- Endlessly
- Domestic Product
- Grand Mo The First
- Fierceness
- Stronghold
- Resilience
- Society Man
- Epic Ride
- Magatu
Please note some runners may be withdrawn before the start.
Where is the Kentucky Derby 2024?
The Kentucky Derby is held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.
Who will win the Kentucky Derby?
The million-dollar question! Well, there's a suggestion that having an inside draw isn't great because you get boxed in. In the past, an outside draw was seen as bad but no longer. So perhaps digging into the draw stats will help you find the winner. But with so many runners and a lot of bumping trying to get a good position, it's a hard race to call. Good luck with any wagers you have!
Kentucky Derby tips
Sadly, What to Watch lacks a horse racing crystal ball! If you’re making a wager our key advice would be to check the odds carefully to make sure you’re getting the best price.
