TV News: IndyCar TV to ride on Soccer's coattails in 2026

The NTT IndyCar Series is gearing up for its second season under the FOX Sports umbrella in 2026, and the network isn’t hiding its strategy: piggyback on the massive global audience of the FIFA World Cup to give IndyCar TV a huge exposure boost.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

IndyCar took a similar “coattails” approach in Iowa, where it increased race attendance by bringing big rock concerts with a big following. That worked, until it didn’t

With the World Cup hosted across North America (USA, Canada, Mexico) and FOX holding the broadcast rights, the series has strategically timed several races to follow or precede major soccer matches. This “coattails” approach could introduce IndyCar to millions of casual viewers who might otherwise never tune in.

All 17 races will air live on FOX network television, continuing the series’ unique status as North America’s only premier motorsport with full network coverage. This follows a strong 2025 debut for the FOX partnership, with a 27% year-over-year audience increase—the biggest growth in sports.

Key World Cup TV Tie-Ins

– June 21: The XPEL Grand Prix at Road America starts at 2:00 p.m. ET, immediately after the World Cup opening match.
– July 5: The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio begins at 12:30 p.m. ET, with a World Cup Round of 16 match following on FOX.
– July 19: The Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway (now a mid-season oval thriller) follows the World Cup Final, with exact start time to be announced later. This promises a massive lead-in audience from soccer’s biggest game.

These alignments position IndyCar as part of FOX’s broader global sports portfolio, rather than just a U.S.-centric niche.

Full 2026 TV Broadcast Schedule (All Times ET, Subject to Change)

– March 1: Streets of St. Petersburg – 12:00 p.m.
– March 7: Phoenix Raceway – 3:00 p.m.
– March 15: Streets of Arlington – 12:30 p.m.
– March 29: Barber Motorsports Park – 1:00 p.m.
– April 19: Streets of Long Beach – 5:30 p.m.
– May 9: IMS Road Course – 4:30 p.m.
– May 24: Indianapolis 500 – 10:00 a.m. (6-hour coverage)
– May 31: Streets of Detroit – 12:30 p.m.
– June 7: World Wide Technology Raceway – 9:00 p.m.
– June 21: Road America – 2:00 p.m. (post-World Cup opener)
– July 5: Mid-Ohio – 12:30 p.m. (pre-World Cup Round of 16)
– July 19: Nashville Superspeedway – TBA (post-World Cup Final)
– August 9: Portland – 4:00 p.m.
– August 16: Streets of Markham (Canada) – 12:00 p.m.
– August 29-30: Milwaukee Mile Doubleheader – 2:30 p.m. / 1:00 p.m.
– September 6: Laguna Seca (season finale) – 2:30 p.m.

The season kicks off with a bang in March, including new venues like Arlington (near the Cowboys’ and Rangers’ stadiums) and a return to Phoenix as part of a NASCAR weekend. It wraps up on Labor Day weekend at Laguna Seca.

Drivers like Kyle Kirkwood (Andretti Global) have already embraced the setup: “Having the 2026 IndyCar schedule share the stage with FOX’s coverage of the World Cup next summer is going to be exciting.”

This isn’t just about convenience—it’s a calculated play to expand IndyCar’s reach. By hitching a ride on soccer’s biggest event, FOX hopes to turn World Cup viewers into IndyCar fans. Whether it pays off in sustained growth remains to be seen, but the ambition is clear because, on its own, IndyCar struggles to draw a big audience.