As has become par for the course for many major sporting events, NBC will be providing an opportunity for folks to watch the 2011 Preakness Stakes online via a live online stream at nbcsports.msnbc.com. Post-time for the race is at 3:18pm pacific but their online coverage will begin at 1:30pm pacific, giving you close to two hours worth of coverage. If you are planning on watching the race on television, there will be over four hours worth of coverage on VERSUS and NBC starting at 11:30am pacific.
NBC Sports has done a solid job of bringing their events to the Internet for live streaming. Football fans have been able to watch Sunday Night Football online through the NBC Sports site and it is generally a very solid option. As online streams and other technology have improved, it has become an ideal second option if you can't watch on TV. Additionally, for football NBCSports.com has provided a variety of bells and whistles outside of what you see on television. It will be interesting to see if they provide any such bells and whistles for the 136th running of the Preakness.
The 2011 Preakness Stakes gets underway on May 21 at Pimlico racetrack. Stay with our 2011 Preakness Stakes StoryStream for odds, contender profiles, post positions and more. To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.