What time does the Preakness actually start? NBC coverage window is absurdly long

The second leg of the 2025 Triple Crown has arrived, although fans may have to wait a little longer than expected to actually watch it.

The Preakness Stakes will take place on Saturday, and while Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty won't be competing, there still figures to be plenty of drama at Pimlico. Three Kentucky Derby participants will be entered in the Preakness field: Journalism, Sandman and American Promise. Journalism, runner-up at the Kentucky Derby, currently has the best odds heading into the race and will start at the No. 2 post.

But while NBC's broadcast coverage from Pimlico Race Course technically begins in the middle of the afternoon, that's not even close to when the actual main event is scheduled to begin. Her's everything to know about the Preakness Stakes schedule, including start times and how to watch every race.

What time does the Preakness Stakes actually start?

Television coverage is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon. But that's simply when the first of many races will start: There are a total of eight in all before we get to the actual Preakness Stakes.

The current post time for the Preakness Stakes itself is 6:50 p.m. ET, meaning fans will be in for quite the wait.

How to watch Preakness Stakes races 2025: TV channels, live streams

Early races will air on CNBC and Peacock beginning at 2 p.m. ET. At 4 p.m. ET, television coverage will switch to NBC. If you don't have a cable subscription, you can stream all of the action live on Peacock, from the first race at 2 p.m. ET to the Preakness Stakes just before 7 p.m. ET.

If you don't have a Peacock subscription, they currently aren't offering a free trial. But Fubo does for new subscribers, so you can try the service for seven days. In addition to NBC, Fubo allows you to stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox and many more channels. Fubo Pro will cost you $84.99 per month, so make sure to cancel before that seven-day window expires if you don't want to be charged.

Recent Preakness Stakes winners

Here are the 10 most recent winners of the Preakness, with Triple Crown winners in bold.