Live coverage of the 2021 Kentucky Derby will air on May 1 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN and from 2:30 to 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC. You can also stream the Derby live on the NBC Sports app. Post time on Saturday for the 2021 Kentucky Derby is set for 6:57 p.m. ET. This article will tell you how to live stream the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. We’ll also explain how to watch the Kentucky Oaks race that happens the day before the Derby.
How To Watch the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks
Coverage of the Derby and Oaks are on two channels, NBC and NBCSN. For those without cable it’s much easier to use the NBC Sports app. However, you will need access to a streaming service that carries those networks to log into the app and get access to watch. Follow the steps below and you should have no problem watching the the Kentucky Derby and Oaks, along with all the pageantry.
- Use a Free Trial to a Service that carries NBC and NBCSN. Those are:
- FuboTV – offers a 1-week free trial.
- Hulu Live TV – Offers a 1-week free trial
- YouTube TV – offers a 1-week free trial
- Go to the channel store or app store on your device. On Roku, it’s called the “Channel Store.”
- Search for the NBC Sports app
- Add the NBC Sports app to your device and then open it.
- Go to “Browse” on the menu to the left of the screen. Under “All Networks,” navigate to “NBCSN” and press the OK button on your remote.
- Using a computer or mobile web browser, you go to https://www.nbcsports.com/activate.
- You will then be asked for a TV provider and a username/password. If you subscribe to Hulu, select “Hulu,” then enter your login and password for Hulu.
- Once you sign in, your TV screen will refresh after a minute or so. You should now have access to both events
Schedule Of Events
You can watch all the following events through the NBC Sports App if you followed the steps above. Below is the schedule of events in the app
- Friday, April 30th
- 12:00 PM EDT: The Kentucky Oaks
- Saturday, May 1st
- 12:00 PM EDT: Kentucky Derby Prep
- 2:30 PM EDT: The Kentucky Derby
- ~6:57 PM EDT: Derby Post Time
How to Watch The Kentucky Derby Online
If you don’t want to use the NBC Sports App to watch, you can still watch the Derby using a streaming service that carries NBC. Coverage of the Kentucky Derby begins at 2:30 EDT on NBC. You can watch using the channel guide for any of the following streaming services.
Best Option to Watch the Derby Online
Hulu not only offers its on-demand service but live-streaming as well. Like other services, they offer NBC in specific markets along with cable TV and other broadcast networks. To see if live NBC is available in your area, you can use this tool: Hulu Live TV Channels by Zipcode.
Hulu offers NBC and NBCSN in their lineup, so on Saturday, you can watch The Kentucky Derby Prep at noon eastern on NBCSN and switch over to NBC at 2:30 ET to watch the Derby. You can also watch the Kentucky Oaks the day before on NBCSN at Noon.
Hulu + Live TV is supported on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, iOS, Android, and more. You can read more about Hulu in our review of Hulu. There isn’t a month-to-month contract, so you can sign up to test the service without fear of a long-term commitment. You can sign up for Hulu Live TV using this link: Sign up for Hulu + Live TV.
Other Ways to Watch the Derby Online
FuboTV – Another streaming service that enables you to watch NBCSN and NBC online without cable is Fubo TV. They offer your local NBC channels in over half the country, including most major markets. You can check out a free trial to FuboTV here. See our review of fuboTV for more information.
YouTube TV – YouTube TV is another great option to watch NBCSN and NBC live. YouTubeTV offers live NBC with its streaming service in nearly ALL markets in the US. The only market where YouTube TV doesn’t offer NBC is in the Rochester-Mason City-Austin market, which covers parts of Minnesota and Iowa. (YouTube TV does offer NBC in Rochester NY and Austin TX.) Be sure to check out our review of YouTube TV for more information. You can sign up for their free trial.
Sling TV – Sling TV offers NBC as a part of their Sling Blue package in New York – WNBC, Philadelphia – WCAU, Chicago – WMAQ, Boston – WBTS, Washington, DC – WRC-TV, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale – WTVJ, Hartford/New Haven – WVIT, Dallas/Ft. Worth – KXAS, Los Angeles – KNBC, San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose – KNTV, and San Diego – KNSD. You can get a 1-week free trial, and there is no monthly contract so you can cancel any time. See our guide to Sling TV for more information on this streaming service.
DIRECTV Stream – DIRECTV Stream streams a massive number of local NBC affiliates online along with other broadcast networks. You can check out everything this service offers by taking advantage of their online offer or read about it in our DIRECTV Stream review.
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