How to watch the Kentucky Derby 2026 for free and on NBC, Peacock, FanDuel TV, schedule
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The 152nd Kentucky Derby takes place on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Known as "The Run for the Roses," it is one of the most celebrated sporting events in the United States and the first leg of horse racing's Triple Crown. The race carries a $5 million purse and is expected to draw a full field of 20 horses, including three international runners.
This year's field is headlined by a genuine sibling rivalry. Renegade enters as the morning line favorite at 9-2, coming off back-to-back wins including the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. His half-brother Commandment leads the qualifying points standings at 5-1, setting up one of the more compelling storylines in recent Derby history. The race is run over 1¼ miles on dirt and lasts approximately two minutes, earning its long-standing nickname, "The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports."
Derby Weekend in 2026 also marks a historic milestone: the Kentucky Oaks, held the night before on Friday, May 1, moves to primetime on NBC for the first time in its 152-year history, making it a two-night broadcast event for US viewers.
How to watch the Kentucky Derby 2026 – quick guide
Watching at home:
- Free on NBC via cable, satellite, or digital antenna — covers the Kentucky Oaks (8 PM ET, May 1) and the full Derby broadcast (2:30-7:30 PM ET, May 2)
- Stream on Peacock – covers both Oaks Day and Derby Day in full, including all undercard races, from $10.99/month
- Stream on FanDuel TV – every race across the full Derby Week (April 25-May 2), free with a FanDuel account (no deposit required)
- No cable? NBC is included in live TV streaming services such as YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream, and Fubo
Traveling outside the US on Derby weekend:
- NBC streaming and Peacock are geo-restricted — use a VPN connected to a US server to access your existing Peacock subscription from abroad
- FanDuel TV is not accessible outside the US, even with a VPN, so Peacock is your best option while traveling
Kentucky Derby 2026 – full broadcast schedule
Opening Day – Saturday, April 25
Churchill Downs opens its spring meet with gates at 11:30 AM ET and the first race at 12:45 PM ET. Opening Day is the traditional start of Derby Week. It draws fans who want to experience the Churchill Downs atmosphere before the main-event crowds arrive. Coverage is on FanDuel TV, with specific times to be confirmed closer to the date.
Thurby – Thursday, April 30
"Thurby" is a portmanteau of Thursday and Derby, and it has become one of the most popular days of Derby Week in its own right. It draws large crowds for fashion, racing, and atmosphere. Gates open at 10:30 AM ET with the first race at 12:45 PM ET. If you enjoy the pageantry of Derby Week but want to avoid the main-event crowds, Thurby is worth tuning in for. Coverage is on FanDuel TV, with specific times to be confirmed.
Kentucky Oaks Day – Friday, May 1
The Kentucky Oaks is America's premier race for three-year-old fillies and the second-biggest race of Derby Week. In 2026, it makes history: for the first time in 152 years, the Oaks moves to primetime on NBC, airing at 8 PM ET on both NBC and Peacock. This change gives the Oaks a national primetime audience on Friday night, making it must-watch viewing alongside Saturday's Derby.
| Time (ET) | Coverage | Channel |
| 11:30 AM – 4:00 PM | Full Oaks card (all races) | FanDuel TV |
| 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Oaks undercard races | Peacock and NBCSN |
| 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM | 152nd Kentucky Oaks | NBC and Peacock |
Kentucky Derby Day – Saturday, May 2
The Kentucky Derby goes to post at approximately 6:57 PM ET as Race 12 of the day. NBC takes over from FanDuel TV at 2:30 PM ET, giving you over four hours of build-up coverage before the race. The Derby broadcast is the longest free-to-air window of the weekend, so if you are watching at home on cable or antenna, you have plenty of time to settle in.
| Time (ET) | Coverage | Channel |
| 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM | Early race coverage | FanDuel TV |
| 12:00 PM – 2:30 PM | Undercard races | Peacock and NBCSN |
| 2:30 PM – 7:30 PM | Full Derby coverage | NBC and Peacock |
| ~6:57 PM | Kentucky Derby post time | NBC and Peacock |
| 7:30 PM onwards | Post-race coverage | FanDuel TV |
Kentucky Derby 2026 race preview
Renegade (9-2) enters as the morning line favorite, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., coming off back-to-back wins including the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. His half-brother Commandment (5-1) holds the qualifying points lead with 150 points and will be ridden by Luis Saez. Further Ado rounds out the top three at 6-1, with Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez aboard.
Further down the field, The Puma and Chief Wallabee both sit at 10-1, with Emerging Market at 15-1. Three overseas runners are set to join the field, adding an international dimension to the race. The full 20-horse field is confirmed, with post positions drawn at Churchill Downs ahead of the race.
Tune in from 2:30 PM ET on NBC or Peacock on Saturday, May 2, or connect your VPN before post time if you are watching from abroad.
Traveling on Derby weekend? Here is how to watch on Peacock
Peacock is the right choice for US fans traveling abroad on Derby weekend. It carries the full Kentucky Oaks on Friday night and the complete Derby Day broadcast on Saturday, including all undercard races from noon ET. Because Peacock is a US-only service, you will need a VPN to access your account from outside the country. Set it up before you leave so you are not troubleshooting a connection from a hotel room an hour before post time.
- Choose a VPN. We recommend NordVPN for streaming. It operates 9,500+ servers across 149 countries and retains around 94% of your base download speed in our testing. The NordLynx protocol keeps live streams stable, which matters when the race is over in under two minutes.
- Install the app before you travel. Download NordVPN on your device. It supports Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Fire TV, and Android TV. Installing at home ensures everything works before you leave.
- Connect to a US server. Open the app and select a United States server. If the stream does not load on the first attempt, switch to a different US city. New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles are reliable options.
- Go to Peacock. Log in with your existing account. If you do not have one, sign up for Peacock Premium at $10.99/month. Open it in a private or incognito browser window to avoid cached location data causing issues.
- Start streaming. Find the live broadcast in the sports section and keep the VPN running throughout. NBC coverage on Derby Day starts at 2:30 PM ET. Aim to be set up and connected well before the 6:57 PM ET post time.
What devices can you use to watch the Kentucky Derby 2026
NBC NBC is free over-the-air via digital antenna on any TV, or through your cable and satellite package. If you do not have cable, NBC is included in live TV streaming services such as YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream, and Fubo, all of which work on smart TVs, phones, tablets, streaming devices, and browsers. These services are geo-restricted, so you will need a VPN if you are traveling.
Peacock works on smart TVs such as Samsung, LG, Vizio, and Roku TV, as well as streaming devices such as Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, Apple TV, and Chromecast. You can also watch on iOS and Android devices, desktop and laptop browsers, and Xbox and PlayStation consoles. VPN apps work natively on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Fire TV, and Android TV. For smart TVs that do not support VPN apps directly, you will need to configure the VPN at the router level.
FanDuel TV+ is a free app available on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV. Sign in with a free FanDuel account to access every race of Derby Week, commercial-free. No deposit is required. FanDuel TV is only available from within the United States.
Best VPNs for watching the Kentucky Derby 2026 while traveling
We selected these three VPNs based on speed test results, US server availability, and streaming performance data. All three are well-suited for accessing Peacock from abroad during a live event.
- NordVPN — our top pick for Derby weekend. Starting at $3.49/month on a two-year plan, NordVPN gives access to 9,500+ servers in 149 countries and retains 94% of base download speeds in our testing. The NordLynx protocol keeps live streams stable, and Smart DNS is available for devices that do not support VPN apps natively, such as hotel smart TVs. Read the full NordVPN review.
- Surfshark — best if you are traveling with others and want everyone watching on their own device. Starting at $2.49/month, Surfshark allows unlimited simultaneous connections, so your whole travel group can stream Derby Day independently. It recorded a 95% download speed retention rate in our testing and uses WireGuard for low-latency live streaming. Read the full Surfshark review.
- Proton VPN — best if you only need a VPN for race weekend and do not want to commit to a paid plan. Proton VPN offers a free tier with unlimited bandwidth, which is enough to stream both the Oaks on Friday and the Derby on Saturday. Paid plans start at $2.99/month and unlock 20,300+ servers across 148 countries, with around 83% speed retention on US servers. Read the full Proton VPN review.
