IndyCar Viewership Sees Mixed Results in FOX Sports Debut Year

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The NTT IndyCar Series, in its inaugural season exclusively broadcast on FOX Sports, has experienced a rollercoaster of viewership results. While initial races saw significant gains, a recent dip in ratings raises questions about sustained momentum.

The season began with strong numbers, highlighted by the Indianapolis 500 drawing 7.05 million viewers, a 40% increase from the previous year on NBC and the most-watched Indy 500 since 2008. The Detroit Grand Prix continued this upward trend, attracting 1.06 million viewers and marking a 75% increase compared to 2024. The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway also surpassed the one million viewer mark, with 1.01 million tuning in for the primetime Sunday night broadcast.

However, the recent XPEL Grand Prix at Road America saw a decrease in viewership, drawing an average audience of 781,000. This is down from 863,000 viewers in 2024 and snaps a three-week streak of races exceeding the one million viewer threshold. Reasons for the dip are unclear, but it underscores the challenges IndyCar faces in maintaining consistent viewership throughout the season.

Despite the dip at Road America, the 2025 season on FOX Sports has shown notable overall growth compared to previous years. Through eight races, IndyCar on FOX is averaging 2.007 million viewers, representing a 27 percent increase from 2024. FOX reports a 33% increase in average per-race viewership compared to NBC's network races in 2024.

All 17 races of the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series are being televised on the FOX network, providing a level of network exclusivity not seen in other major U.S. motorsport series. While the season has presented some challenges, the overall gains in viewership, particularly the record-breaking Indy 500 broadcast, indicate a positive start to the IndyCar and FOX Sports partnership.

Sources: 2025 Indy 500 on FOX posts race's highest viewership in 17 years, FOX Sports; FOX Draws Another Big TV Ratings Increase at Detroit, INDYCAR.com; FOX TV Ratings for WWTR Race Soar in Primetime, INDYCAR.com; IndyCar Road America TV ratings dip following solid post-Indy 500 progress, IndyStar