Charlotte, N.C. – For Fox Sports, the launch of their first IndyCar race was a notable success, drawing in an impressive 1.417 million viewers. This makes it the most watched IndyCar event, except for the iconic Indianapolis 500, to have aired on any network since 2011.
The opening race of the season took place on the city streets of St. Petersburg and surpassed the previous year’s viewer numbers by 45%, which had attracted 974,700 viewers on NBC. During its airing, viewership peaked at 1,820,000 from 2:15 to 2:26 p.m. Further details regarding local market ratings are expected to be released later this week.
IndyCar recently shifted from a 16-year partnership with NBC Sports to secure a multi-year deal with Fox Sports. This transition involved assurances of superior production and promotional efforts, which began as early as January. The network had launched slick advertisements featuring prominent drivers from the series during the NFL playoffs and the highly watched Super Bowl.
The ties between IndyCar and Fox Sports are further strengthened by the network’s CEO, Eric Shanks, who hails from Indiana and is an avid supporter of the series and the Indianapolis 500. His commitment is evident with his efforts to elevate IndyCar back to the pinnacle of motorsports broadcasting.
Even with extensive promotional strategies, which included exposure during NASCAR’s Daytona 500 and other programs on Fox Sports, Shanks recognized that some viewers on race day might still find themselves searching for which network the event aired on. He aims to address this challenge. This year, all 17 races, along with both qualifying sessions for the Indianapolis 500, will be broadcast on Fox Sports, distinguishing IndyCar as the sole major motorsports series with its entire schedule aired on network television.
The triumph of Chip Ganassi Racing’s drivers, Alex Palou and Scott Dixon, marking a 1-2 finish in the season’s opening race, made the event even more noteworthy. It’s important to highlight that NBC Sports typically uses a total audience delivery metric that factors in live streaming views, whereas FOX relies on Nielsen Media Research data, which does not incorporate TAD.
With Fox Sports securing an audience increase of 425,300 viewers compared to NBC Sports broadcasting services, this event stands as the most-watched IndyCar race on network television in over a decade, excluding races at Indy 500. The last such substantial viewership was in 2011 during a race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which tragically became notable due to the fatal accident involving Dan Wheldon, drawing 2,448,000 viewers on ABC. Additionally, the initial practice session that aired on Fox Sports 1 channel on Friday saw 95,000 viewers tune in.
