The prospects of a Triple Crown winner is an exciting development for race fans everywhere. With horse racing's newest sweetheart, I'll Have Another only a single win at the Belmont Stakes away from capturing the first Crown since 1978, attention will be focused on the event with even casual observers interested in what happens. While this is great for the racers, horses and trainers involved, this news is most exciting to NBC the company who will be televising the event.
According to USA Today, NBC has already decided to take advantage of the opportunity by increasing their coverage (which will be split across NBC and it's sister station NBC Sports Network), from 6 1/2 hours to "more extensive coverage." Apparently the Belmont's ratings expectations more than double in years in which a Triple Crown contender emerges from the Preakness, bouncing from four percent to 10% of TV-watching households-which means I'll Have Another's late victory over Bodemeister probably made NBC much richer than all the gamblers at the track who bet on that particular exacta.
The Belmont Stakes will be run on June 9.
For more on I'll Have Another's quest for the 2012 Triple Crown, stay with this StoryStream.