IndyCar: Indy 500 TV sees ratings increase (2nd Update)

Across NBC Sports streaming platforms, this year’s race ranks as the second most-streamed IndyCar race ever with an Average Minute Audience (AMA) of 34,500 viewers, behind only the 2019 Indy 500 (45,600). The race was the most-watched sports event of the weekend across all networks.

Through the first six races of the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES on NBC, NBCSN, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app are averaging a TAD of 1.926 million viewers, the best six-race start to a season in four years (2.046 million; 4 ABC, 2 NBCSN) and up 28% vs. last season’s comparable races (1.504 million viewers).

TOP 10 Markets for 2021 Indy 500 on NBC (HH Rating):

1 Indianapolis 21.3
2 Dayton 8.1
2 Cincinnati 8.1
4 Ft. Myers-Naples 6.3
4 Louisville 6.3
6 Knoxville 6.0
7 Nashville 5.4
7 Columbus, Ohio 5.4
9 Hartford-New Haven 5.1
10 Greenville-Spartanburg 5.0

The race peaked at 7.129 million viewers when Helio Castroneves took the checkered flag to win his fourth Indy 500.


June 3, 2021 

The Indianapolis TV market drew a 21.3 local rating for the Indy 500 on NBC. Only the 3rd time since 1950 that it has aired live locally. In 2016, for 100th running of the race on ABC (first time since 1950 it aired live in Indy), the market averaged a 33.6 local rating.

The Indy 500 out-rated the Daytona 500 for the first time since 1995 – the last year CART was controlling IndyCar Racing, and the sport was booming.  Then Tony George, convinced he had a better idea, created the IRL and nearly destroyed the sport.

It has taken 26 years to recover, and it is still not anywhere near where CART had brought the sport.  This chart underscores George’s destruction.

Historical Indy 500 TV Ratings since 1979

Year TV Rating Share Net League Comment
1979 13.5 24 Share ABC CART CART’s 1st Year
1980 13.8 27 Share ABC CART IndyCar’s Golden Years
1981 12.8 24 Share ABC CART IndyCar’s Golden Years
1982 12.3 25 Share ABC CART IndyCar’s Golden Years
1983 14.1 27 Share ABC CART IndyCar’s Golden Years
1984 12.9 25 Share ABC CART IndyCar’s Golden Years
1985 9.7 18 Share ABC CART IndyCar’s Golden Years
1986 8.8 31 Share ABC CART IndyCar’s Golden Years
1987 11.1 36 Share ABC CART IndyCar’s Golden Years
1988 8.5 29 Share ABC CART IndyCar’s Golden Years
1989 7.8 28 Share ABC CART IndyCar’s Golden Years
1990 7.4 26 Share ABC CART IndyCar’s Golden Years
1991 8.0 27 Share ABC CART IndyCar’s Golden Years
1992 9.8 31 Share ABC CART IndyCar’s Golden Years
1993 9.3 31 Share ABC CART IndyCar’s Golden Years
1994 9.1 31 Share ABC CART IndyCar’s Golden Years
1995 9.4 26 Share ABC CART IndyCar’s Golden Years
1996 6.6 19 Share ABC IRL T. George destruction begins
1997 5.1 14 Share ABC IRL Rating falls below 6.0
1998 6.0 19 Share ABC IRL T. George damage continues
1999 5.5 18 Share ABC IRL T. George damage continues
2000 5.5 15 Share ABC IRL T. George damage continues
2001 5.8 17 Share ABC IRL T. George damage continues
2002 4.8 15 Share ABC IRL Rating falls below 5.0
2003 4.6 14 Share ABC IRL T. George damage continues
2004 4.7 11 Share ABC IRL T. George damage continues
2005 6.5 18 Share ABC IRL Some CART Teams Participate
2006 5.0 14 Share ABC IRL T. George damage continues
2007 4.3 12 Share ABC IRL CART/IRL Merger deal done
2008 4.5 ?? Share ABC IRL A small bump up after merger
2009 4.0 11 Share ABC IRL Merger can’t overcome T. George damage
No. of Viewers
2010 3.6 10 Share 5.79M ABC IRL Rating falls below 4.0, <10% of Households
2011 4.0 6.71M ABC IndyCar T. George damage continues
2012 4.34 6.86M ABC IndyCar T. George damage continues
2013 3.7 5.74M ABC IndyCar Viewership falls below 6.0M
2014 3.8 5.94M ABC IndyCar T. George damage continues
2015 4.1 6.4M ABC IndyCar T. George damage continues
2016 3.8 5.86M ABC IndyCar T. George damage continues
2017 3.41 5.457M ABC IndyCar T. George damage continues
2018 3.08 4.91M ABC IndyCar T. George damage continues
2019 3.41 5.414M + 32K Streaming NBC IndyCar First Year for NBC, equals ABC in 2017
2020 2.3 3.737M NBC IndyCar Down 32.3% due to Covid
2021 3.43 5.581M NBC IndyCar Roger Penske’ reign begins in earnest, and Indy 500 beats the Daytona 500 TV rating for the first time since the CART years – 1995 and prior

Share = % USA Households Watching TV that are watching race


June 2, 2021 

With the race moved back to its traditional spot on the calendar (Memorial Day Sunday) and with no blackout in the Indianapolis area, NBC earned 5.581 million viewers for Sunday’s Indy 500, up 52% from last year’s postponed August race (3.67 million) and up 2.5% from 2019 (5.44 million), the last time it was run on Memorial Day Sunday.

However, the rating was 7.5% lower than the 6.0 million viewers ABC got for the  100th running in 2016.

 

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