Why NBC announcer Mike Tirico unexpectedly exited the Kentucky Derby broadcast

Karla Ward, Lexington Herald-Leader on May 3, 2025

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A nut allergy forced NBC Sports announcer Mike Tirico to make an unexpected exit from the Kentucky Derby broadcast Saturday afternoon.

Tirico had been off the air for a while Saturday afternoon because of an unexplained illness, but as post time drew nearer, NBC mentioned that Tirico was experiencing an allergic reaction and would not be back to call the race.

“Hate being a scratch after making the starting gate @KentuckyDerby. Just a significant reaction to my nut allergy. If you have one you know how it can knock you down,” Tirico said in a post on the social media platform X Saturday evening.

“Profound thanks to @ChurchillDowns for their care. And to our amazing @nbcsports horse racing family. Especially Randy, Jerry & Ahmed Fareed So lucky to have @SyracuseU fam step in and do such a great job.”

Ahmed Fareed stepped in.

Tirico is a familiar voice when it comes to play-by-play sports broadcasting.

He began hosting NBC’s Triple Crown coverage in 2017, according to the network’s website, after coming to NBC from ESPN in 2016.

He’s been calling NFL games during prime time for 19 seasons, including 10 years as the voice of “Monday Night Football” on ESPN and for the past three years on NBC as the host of “Sunday Night Football.”

Tirico has also provided coverage for the Olympics, US Open and other major sporting events.

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