The hard cold facts on the IRL’s decimation of the Indy 500
UPDATE Updated to show how big the TV ratings were in the 70s and early 80s when the race was tape delayed to Sunday night. On Memorial Day weekend no one is in the house watching TV on a Sunday afternoon. If IndyCar would take another one of our suggestions and move the race to Saturday night under the lights (Sunday night rain date) the Indy 500 TV ratings would likely double immediately.
04/22/13 TV ratings by year for the Indy 500. Note what happens the first year Tony George and the IRL take over.
| Year | Rating | % of HHs | Cars From | Comment |
| 1973 | 16.5 | 30 Share | USAC | Tape Delayed to 8 PM ET |
| 1974 | 16.4 | 31 Share | USAC | Tape Delayed to 9 PM ET |
| 1975 | 14.9 | 30 Share | USAC | Tape Delayed to 9 PM ET |
| 1976 | 17.9 | 34 Share | USAC | Tape Delayed to 9 PM ET |
| 1977 | 15.6 | 32 Share | USAC | Tape Delayed to 9 PM ET |
| 1978 | 13.4 | 26 Share | USAC | Tape Delayed to 9 PM ET |
| 1979 | 13.5 | 24 Share | CART | CART Takes over the sport |
| 1980 | 13.8 | 27 Share | CART | Tape Delayed to 9 PM ET |
| 1981 | 12.8 | 24 Share | CART | Tape Delayed to 9 PM ET |
| 1982 | 12.3 | 25 Share | CART | Tape Delayed to 9 PM ET |
| 1983 | 14.1 | 27 Share | CART | Tape Delayed to 9 PM ET |
| 1984 | 12.9 | 25 Share | CART | Tape Delayed to 9 PM ET |
| 1985 | 9.7 | 18 Share | CART | Tape Delayed to 9 PM ET |
| 1986 | 8.8 | 31 Share | CART | Rain, Race broadcast live for first time following Saturday |
| 1987 | 11.0 | 36 Share | CART | Live Broadcast |
| 1988 | 8.5 | 29 Share | CART | Live Broadcast |
| 1989 | 7.8 | 28 Share | CART | Live Broadcast |
| 1990 | 7.8 | 26 Share | CART | Live Broadcast |
| 1991 | 8.0 | 27 Share | CART | Live Broadcast |
| 1992 | 9.8 | 31 Share | CART | Live Broadcast |
| 1993 | 9.3 | 31 Share | CART | Live Broadcast |
| 1994 | 9.1 | 31 Share | CART | Live Broadcast |
| 1995 | 9.4 | 26 Share | CART | Live Broadcast |
| 1996 | 4.3 | 13 Share | IRL | The IRL takes over and ratings plummet to 4.3 and never recover |
| 1997 | 5.0 | 18 Share | IRL | Rain, Live Broadcast on Monday |
| 1998 | 6.0 | 19 Share | IRL | Live Broadcast |
| 1999 | 5.5 | 18 Share | IRL | Live Broadcast |
| 2000 | 5.5 | 15 Share | IRL | Live Broadcast |
| 2001 | 5.8 | 17 Share | IRL | Live Broadcast |
| 2002 | 4.8 | 15 Share | IRL | Live Broadcast |
| 2003 | 4.6 | 14 Share | IRL | Live Broadcast |
| 2004 | 4.7 | 11 Share | IRL | Live Broadcast |
| 2005 | 6.5 | 18 Share | IRL | Live Broadcast |
| 2006 | 5.0 | 14 Share | IRL | Live Broadcast |
| 2007 | 4.3 | 12 Share | IRL | Live Broadcast |
| 2008 | 4.6 | 13 Share | IndyCar | Champ Car and IRL merge, but too late, the damage is done |
| 2009 | 4.2 | 10 Share | IndyCar | Live Broadcast |
| 2010 | 3.6 | 5 Share | IndyCar | Record Low |
| 2011 | 4.3 | 7 Share | IndyCar | Live Broadcast |
| 2012 | 4.3 | 8 Share | IndyCar | Live Broadcast – Compare to 1973 – Tony George had a better idea |