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DENVER, April 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- 'The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports®' just got a serious tech upgrade. As Churchill Downs Racetrack ("Churchill Downs") prepares to host the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby, the historic venue has teamed up with Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) to bring Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) capabilities to the racetrack, delivering enhanced connectivity for hundreds of thousands of guests, media outlets, and mutuel operations during Derby Week.
"When you're hosting one of the greatest sporting spectacles on Earth, speed matters — and not just on the track," said Mike Wood, Senior IT Director "With Network-as-a-Service technology, we can bring high-capacity, secure connections online in minutes to power everything from media coverage to vendor support and guest Wi-Fi. It's that kind of behind-the-scenes innovation that ensures Derby Week runs smoothly and delivers unforgettable experiences to fans in the stands and around the globe."
With more than 385,000 visitors descending on Churchill Downs each year, the digital demands of Derby Week have vastly increased —jumping from 2–3 Gbps on a normal day to nearly 200 Gbps daily. Streaming, seamless mutuel operations, high-definition live broadcasts, mobile point-of-sale transactions, and Wi-Fi access all require network connections with low latency and high reliability – especially when milliseconds matter.
"Churchill Downs is an iconic venue operating in a high-stakes, high-velocity environment," said Dave Ward, Lumen chief technology and product officer. "By replacing temporary, hardwired circuits with a dynamic, on-demand Network-as-a-Service platform, they're gaining a self-service, cloud-like network experience that scales to match the pace of the Derby. That's the future of connectivity—and we're proud to help bring it to the track."
With 83 race days annually, Churchill Downs requires year-round high-performance connectivity and by using Lumen NaaS, the team can dynamically scale bandwidth up and down as needed, delivering continuous connectivity for critical operations such as veterinary services, security systems, and mutuel platforms.
Beyond the track and grandstands, Lumen's network also supports the backside community, home to many equestrians and their families who need schooling, internet, and communication.
Get the full story of how Lumen is powering the Kentucky Derby. Watch the video and read the use case to discover how Network-as-A Service is elevating the experience at Churchill Downs: https://www.lumen.com/en-us/resources/customer-stories/churchill-downs.html