Kentucky Oaks To Be Aired In Primetime in 2026
For the first time ever, the Kentucky Oaks race will be shown during primetime. Kentucky Derby officials made the announcement Thursday, saying next year’s Oaks race will be shown on NBC and Peacock during primetime hours. It will be running closer to sunset, with Oaks “being presented” at 8 p.m. “under the lights.” Normally, post time is right before 6 p.m. Now, it’ll be sometime between 8 and 9 p.m., and will be the last race of the day, officials said. And the first post of the day will be moved to 12:30 p.m., with gates opening at 11 a.m.
The primetime announcement on Thursday quoted Churchill Downs Incorporated President Bill Carstanjen saying, “This decision is rooted in our commitment to growing the sport, reaching new audiences and creating unforgettable experiences for our fans.” But reaction was swift from the local Louisville restaurant community and those that host Derby Eve galas, according to WAVE3.
In 2025, the Oaks had an approximate post time of 5:51 p.m. That is expected to move between 8 and 9 p.m. moving forward. According to industry professionals, the impact means that dinner reservations will be pushed back by several hours and galas will have later start times, resulting in longer nights for many in the service industry, before an early morning at Derby the very next day.
“We already have gotten inundated with emails today, this is impactful, and it’s fluid and we want our association members to know that we support you,” said Khalil Batshon, VP of the Louisville Chapter of the Kentucky Restaurant Association. Batshon is also a Metro councilman representing District 25. “It is the number one busiest night of the year and as we appreciate the worldwide attention that NBC is going to bring and what Churchill Downs is doing for our community, it really impacts the restaurants.”
Batshon said one of the main concerns for KRA is that people will be leaving the track so late that they skip dinner altogether.
“It really impacts our reservations because the post-Oaks reservations, you would be going to the restaurants around 6,7 o’clock, have dinner, go to a gala, go to an event. Well now you’ve just cut that out completely, and it’s really going to impact those restaurants,” Batshon said.
Highlands restaurant Jack Fry’s released a statement of concern in a Facebook post.
What do YOU think of the new timeslot?