The Indianapolis 500 has been broadcast on television in the United States dating back to 1949. Local Indianapolis television station WFBM-TV (now WRTV-6) carried the “500” live for the first time in 1949 and again in 1950. Then from 1964 to 1970, MCA broadcast the race live on closed-circuit television, a telecast which was available in theaters and other venues across the country. The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) first covered the “500” with highlights on its popular anthology series “Wide World of Sports” from 1965 to 1970. ABC’s coverage of Time Trials dated back to 1961. From 1971 through 1985, the race was aired on same-day tape delay in primetime on ABC. Since 1986, the race has been has aired live in “flag-to-flag” format; ABC aired the race live for the first time in 1986 in a landmark telecast. A year later in 1987, cable network ESPN joined the fray covering qualifying (and later practice). ABC and ESPN would share Time Trials coverage, with the respective productions becoming more and more integrated – and eventually seamless – as ABC Sports and ESPN were merged into one division (in 2006) under The Walt Disney Company ownership. In 2007, the race broadcast in high-definition for the first time.

In 2009, cable network Versus (later NBC Sports Network, and then simply NBCSN) started covering Time Trials and Carb Day as part of a ten-year contact, while ABC (now branded as ESPN on ABC) continued to air the race itself. In 2019, after more than five decades on ABC, the race made a highly publicized switch to NBC for 2019 to 2024.

In addition to Indy 500 race coverage, time trials, practice, and other ancillary events (including the 500 Festival Parade and the 500 Victory Banquet) have also been aired on television, dating back to as early as 1950. While some film and newsreel footage of the race exists as far back as the first “500” in 1911, the earliest telecasts are generally presumed to be “lost”. Much like race itself, the Indy 500 has a colorful and extensive history on television in the U.S. This six-part series will dive deep into the history of the Indianapolis 500 on television.

Some of the television ratings information contained in this article are courtesy of Ratings Ryan. The “rating” indicates the percentage of all television households in the U.S. tuned to the program (whether the TV set is turned on or not in use). The “share” reflects the percentage of television sets actually in use that are tuned to the program. The term “households”, pursuant to its name, refers to the total number homes that own a television set which are tuned into a program (but not factoring how many people in each of those homes are watching). The total number of TV households tends to grow each year, and when available, the annual totals used by Nielsen have been noted. The term “viewers”, where available, refers the grand total number of people watching (persons aged 2+). Further information, including demographic breakdowns, as well as half-hour and quarter-hour ratings (where available), can be found at the respective links and citations provided. Screenshots are copyright ABC Sports.

Indianapolis 500 on Television — Six-Part Series
Part 1 1949‒1963 Local Era	Part 2 1964‒1970 MCA/WWOS	Part 3 1971‒1985 Tape Delay	Part 4 1986‒2008 ABC Live Era	Part 5 2009‒2018 ABC/Versus	Part 6 2019-2024 NBC

NBC Era (2019‒2024)

A new (albeit brief) chapter in Indy 500 television history began in 2019. After 54 years on ABC Sports (not including Time Trials reports between 1961 and 1964), the Indianapolis 500 moved to a new television network in the United States. The National Broadcasting Company – better known as NBC – carried the race for six years: 2019 through 2024. An initial three-year contract saw the entirety of the IndyCar Series schedule move from coverage split between ABC and NBCSN to a centralized deal airing all races – including the Indianapolis 500 – on NBC and its sister cable networks NBCSN, USA Network, and at times, CNBC. Additional coverage would be carried on NBC’s streaming platforms, first NBC Gold, then later Peacock. The contract was renewed for an additional three years, carrying it through the 2024 season.

Though ABC had a decades-long partnership with the “500”, the NBC network was not exactly a stranger to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In the 1930s, the race was covered on NBC Radio, and in the 1950s, the race was reported on and covered by NBC News on the Camel News Caravan. In more recent years, NBC Sports held the rights to NASCAR beginning in the 2001 season. As part of that new, $2.4-billion, multi-year, centralized TV rights package, the Brickyard 400 aired live on NBC from 2001 to 2006. NBC’s rights to NASCAR expired after 2006, but they returned in 2015. The Brickyard 400 aired again live on NBC (or NBCSN) from 2015 to 2020. From 2021 to 2023, the NASCAR Cup Series race at Indy moved to the road course and was known as the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard. Each of those years, the race aired live on NBC. In 2008, NBC also carried the MotoGP series race on the IMS road course.

As far as Indy car racing is concerned, NBC did have some history over the years. In 1979, the CART series signed a television broadcasting deal with NBC Sports. Though the Indy 500 and a few other races remained on contract with ABC (and some races were carried by ESPN), events including the Michigan 500, Pocono 500, the Long Beach Grand Prix, and others were broadcast on NBC. Paul Page, the radio “Voice of the 500”, served as the anchor for Indy car racing on NBC for several seasons. Former Indy 500 winner Bobby Unser served as analyst in numerous instances. NBC’s landmark live coverage of the 1981 Michigan 500 marked the first 500-mile Indy car race that aired live in “flag-to-flag” format. NBC’s coverage of CART ran into the early-1990s, but eventually withered down to only about one race per season. Page left NBC in mid-1987 and took over the Indy car announcing roles on ABC and ESPN. NBC continued to cover the Meadowlands Grand Prix through 1990, and their last race of that era was the 1994 Toronto Grand Prix.

On August 7, 2008, the IndyCar Series signed a ten-year, $67 million contract with cable network Versus (a cable network originally launched as Outdoor Life Network in 1995). The new deal would take effect for the 2009 season. ABC Sports would continue to carry the Indianapolis 500 (race day only), and four or five other “cherry-picked” races during the season. One of those ABC races would be the IMS road course race (“IndyCar Grand Prix”) held during the month of May starting in 2014. Versus would carry the remainder of the other races, along with Indy 500 Time Trials and Indy 500 Carb Day. As had been for several years, the telecast operations for both channels would be administered by IMS Productions (the in-house broadcasting division owned by the Speedway). The telecasts would be in 720p High-Definition, as IndyCar had gone to HD beginning in 2007. While IMS Productions would handle most of the production work, the networks would select the on-air talent, director/producers, and other various aspects. The new arrangement took effect just one year after the long-awaited open wheel Unification, which happened in February 2008. Practice days at Indy were not carried by Versus, but coverage was available on streaming (typically IMS’s official YouTube channel). Since Versus (at the time) had only a small slate of live sports properties, they were able to dedicate large broadcast windows to their IndyCar coverage. For instance, on qualifying days in 2009, the telecast would be 6½ hours uninterrupted from 12 noon to 6:30 p.m. on all four days of time trials.

The IndyCar Series coverage on Versus was universally praised for its production quality, but initially suffered from low ratings. At the time, Versus was only available in half of U.S. households. Some commentators likened it to a “tree falling in the forest”. In early 2011, Comcast acquired a majority stake in NBC, and began merging and integrating its divisions. Versus was rebranded as NBC Sports Network on January 1, 2012. Almost immediately, the nickname “NBCSN” started being used for the network. NBC Sports Network inherited the IndyCar contract from Versus, and it continued uninterrupted – though with changes including the on-air talent, on-screen graphics, and the ability to cross-promote on other NBC properties. The NBC Sports Group, however, was not permitted to shift any of their broadcasts over to the main, over-the-air NBC, as ABC still held exclusive rights to over-the-air IndyCar broadcasts. On August 18, 2013, the NBC Sports Network was formally re-named NBCSN. IndyCar’s ten-year contract with the cable outlet was fulfilled at the conclusion of the 2018 season.

On the over-the-air (“OTA”) broadcast television side, ABC Sports (now being branded as ESPN on ABC) continued to carry the Indianapolis 500 (race day only) and as noted, four or five other “cherry-picked” IndyCar Series races. The initial terms of the deal signed in 2008 carried ABC’s contract through 2012, which would assure them the rights to the the 100th anniversary running (2011). A subsequent contract extension signed in August 2011 kept them on for another four years, guaranteeing ABC the rights the milestone 100th running which would come in 2016. That last contract extension for ABC was set to expire at the end of the 2018 season, coinciding with NBCSN’s contract duration (which, as mentioned, they inherited from the Versus years). Speculation began to grow around 2017 with regards to IndyCar’s television future. With both the OTA and cable contracts expiring at the same time, IndyCar was in a position to work from a clean slate. IndyCar management preferred a centralized deal in which the entire season would be carried by one network (or one family of networks). Rumors of moving to a streaming-only platform (e.g., Amazon Prime) were dismissed. On March 21, 2018, IndyCar signed a three-year contract with NBC Sports Group (Comcast/NBCUniversal) to cover the entire IndyCar Series season beginning in 2019. The Indianapolis 500 and several other races would be carried on NBC. The remaining races would be carried on cable partner NBCSN. In addition, the network’s existing over-the-top (“OTT”) streaming service NBC Sports Gold would be utilized for various overflow content such as practice, qualifying, and the Indy Lights Series (now known as Indy NXT) through a subscription called “IndyCar Pass.”

The new contract ushered in a fresh new era in Indy car racing on television. It was the first time that all of IndyCar’s television rights was consolidated under one family of networks since ABC/ESPN/ESPN2 held the exclusive rights in 2000–2008. It was also the first time that a streaming platform would be used for dedicated, produced live coverage. Previously Indy 500 practice was streamed on YouTube (and other similar services), but that was usually only a simulcast of the Speedway’s in-house video board feed.

The NBCSN cable channel was shuttered permanently on December 31, 2021. NBC Sports Gold was sunsetted and effectively replaced by Peacock in 2021. NBC renewed their exclusive television contract with IndyCar during the summer of 2021. NBC re-upped and extended their deal for three additional years, carrying IndyCar and the Indy 500 through the 2024 season. With NBCSN gone, some IndyCar content migrated to USA Network, CNBC, and Peacock. However, the Indianapolis 500, the IndyCar Grand Prix, and the majority of races remained on the main, over-the-air NBC network.

During 2024, IndyCar management embarked on a new television rights deal. The NBC Sports Group ultimately chose not to renew, ending their relatively short tenure at the Indianapolis 500. The 2024 “500” was their last, and their final IndyCar telecast came on September 15, 2024 at Nashville. On June 13, 2024, it was announced that the IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500 would move to Fox Sports beginning in 2025.

2019

Broadcast Details

NBC’s first Indianapolis 500 (in modern times) came in 2019. NBC pulled out a lot of stops for their coverage. Practice was carried live from start to finish (11 a.m. to 6 p.m. eastern) on NBC Sports Gold (through a subscription package titled “IndyCar Pass”). This marked an upgrade from previous years, as the daily practice broadcasts were full NBC Sports productions, with a booth announcing crew and roving pit reporter(s). Previously, streaming coverage of practice was typically just a simulcast of the Speedway’s in-house video board feed, with audio from the Speedway’s public address system. The new practice coverage format would be utilized for other IndyCar races as well, and loosely reflected an experimental Facebook Live broadcast from May 3, 2017 which covered Fernando Alonso’s Rookie Orientation Program test day.

Time Trials was carried on a combination of NBC, cable channel NBCSN, and the streaming service NBC Gold. Carb Day was carried live on NBCSN (simulcast on NBC Sports Gold). On race day, a special two-hour pre-race show hosted by Krista Voda aired on NBCSN, was followed by main coverage on NBC. A post-race show then aired on NBCSN. NBC utilized 140 cameras, a nearly 400-person crew, and 14 on-air personalities.

Over 100 hours of IndyCar-related coverage was scheduled for the month of May 2019 across all of NBC’s participating properties, including over 60 hours on NBC Sports Gold alone. A documentary titled “Drive Like Andretti” profiled Mario Andretti, and during race week, a daily program titled INDYCAR Live aired on NBCSN. Various other specials, such as Proving Ground, Off the Grid, and NASCAR America Live at IMS led up to race day.

One change that the NBC crew did was to relocate the television broadcasting booth. Since 2004, ABC had been using the television studio on the second floor of the Pagoda, which is just above the Victory Lane area. The practice and time trials telecasts on Versus/NBCSN had also worked out of this studio. In 2019, NBC relocated their booth to the 9th floor of the Pagoda, taking over the studio that the IMS Radio Network had worked out of since 2000. The radio crew in turn, moved their operations for the next two years to ABC-TV’s old second floor studio, then to a brand new booth in 2021 constructed inside the media center. The 9th floor booth offered the TV crew a panoramic view and backdrop of the mainstretch, and a seemingly more prestigious location.

On-board cameras were mounted in the cars of Josef Newgarden, Marco Andretti, Scott Dixon, James Hinchcliffe, Felix Rosenqvist, Jack Harvey, Santino Ferrucci, Zach Veach, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Charlie Kimball, Alexander Rossi, Colton Herta, and the pace car. Graham Rahal carried both a conventional on-board camera and a helmet cam.

With the new network came brand new on-screen graphics. NBC utilized their vertical scoring box on the left side (called the “Race Pylon“), a new feature for IndyCar telecasts. Vertical scoring serials had been seen on other racing telecasts for a few years, but through 2018, the IndyCar races – including those on NBCSN – had still used a horizontal scroll along the top of the screen. It was a major visual change, as ABC also had been utilizing a horizontal scroll (sometimes on the top of the screen, sometimes on the bottom) in most years dating back to 1996.

While 2019 was NBC’s first “500”, it also ended up being the final race held under the Hulman/George family management (Hulman & Company). On November 3, 2019, it was announced that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the IndyCar Series, and IMS Production were being sold to Penske Entertainment Corp., a subsidiary of the Penske Corporation, owned by Roger Penske.

Blackout

As had been the case during ABC’s live flag-to-flag coverage from 1986 to 2018 (sans 2016), the live race broadcast was blacked-out in the Indianapolis area. Speedway president Doug Boles reported early in the month that ticket sales for 2019 were slightly up from 2018. But they were not trending quite as high as the sold out 2016 race, and said that lifting the local television blackout was likely ‘out of the question’. WTHR-13 aired the race locally in same-day, tape-delay, in primetime beginning at 7 p.m. local time (EDT) – a custom that WRTV-6 had been doing for ABC’s telecasts since 1992. During the race in the afternoon, WTHR aired American Ninja Warrior, which was aired in primetime on Sunday night to the rest of the country.

An unadvertised “loophole” was discovered during the running of the race by some local viewers. The live NBC telecast, blacked out on WTHR, was still available in the Indianapolis area on the NBC Sports streaming app. Though it appears this was not unintentional, the streaming viewership was still very small. Exact streaming numbers for the Indianapolis market were not available, but the grand total nationally was reported to be only 32,000 viewers.

Announcers

For 2019, NBC carried over much of their on-air crew that had worked the NBCSN broadcasts in 2018 and prior. Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell, and Paul Tracy were the booth crew. Diffey had been covering IndyCar and Formula One on NBCSN since 2013. For drivers Bell and Tracy had been the lead analysts on NBCSN since 2014. The host duties were assumed by Mike Tirico, marking his first appearance at Indy. Former driver Danica Patrick joined as co-host/pre-race analyst. Dillon Welch, son of former ABC/ESPN pit reporter Vince Welch, served as a roving reporter, believed to be the first second-generation television reporter at Indy.

During the NBCSN’s Carb Day telecast, the Indy Lights series Freedom 100 was called by Jake Query, Anders Krohn, and Katie Hargitt. The regular NBC crew covered the IndyCar final practice and Pit Stop Contest. Kevin Lee and Krohn led an abbreviated crew for practice days.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., one of NBC’s NASCAR analysts, joined the Indy 500 crew for race day. Earnhardt also drove the pace car at the start of the race. At the conclusion of the race, Marty Snider conducted the winner’s interview in Victory Lane.

Booth	Pits/Garages	Hosts/Pre-Race	Reports/Features
Leigh Diffey Townsend Bell Paul Tracy	Marty Snider Jon Beekhuis Kevin Lee Kelli Stavast	Mike Tirico (NBC) Krista Voda (NBCSN) Danica Patrick Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Robin Miller Dillon Welch Rutledge Wood
For a complete list of on-air announcers during Practice and Time Trials, see 2019 Archive

Ratings

After hitting a low-point in ratings for ABC’s final “500” in 2018 (3.1), NBC was up 10% for 2019. NBC earned a 3.44 rating with an average of 5.41 million viewers. The telecast peaked at a 4.56 rating (6.7 million viewers) in the final quarter hour (3:45-4:00 p.m. eastern). With 32,000 streaming viewers, the total audience delivery (TAD) inched up to 5.435 million. It was the first year-over-year increase since 2015, though it was still the second-smallest Indy 500 audience on record.

Indianapolis, which aired the race tape-delayed, led all markets with an 11.0 rating. It was followed in the top ten by Dayton (9.8), Sacramento (8.0), Cincinnati (7.3), Fort Myers/Naples (7.3), West Palm Beach (6.9), Louisville (6.8), Columbus (6.4), Richmond (6.3), and Tulsa (6.2). The audience in the 18-49 demographic was 502,00 for the pre-race, and 957,000 for the race portion.

Top markets for the Indy GP were Indianapolis (6.65), Fort Myers/Naples (1.9), Louisville (1.6), San Diego (1.6), St. Louis (1.6). At the end of the 2019 IndyCar Series season, NBC reported that total viewership on NBC/NBCSN was up 9% compared to 2018.

Event	Day	Network	Overnight Rating	Final Rating	Viewers
Grand Prix	Sat. 5/11	NBC	0.85	0.71	1.066 million 1.072 million TAD (peak of 1.41 million)
Time Trials	Sat. 5/18	NBCSN	0.3	unkn.	unkn.
Time Trials	Sun. 5/19	NBC	0.8	0.66	997,000
Time Trials	Sun. 5/19	NBCSN	0.4	0.31	503,000
Pre-Race	Sun. 5/26	NBC	0	1.87	2.827 million
Race	Sun. 5/26	NBC	3.9	3.44	5.414 million 5.435 million TAD (peak of 6.7 million)

The 2019 race telecast is available on the IndyCar Series official YouTube channel (LINK) as part of the “Classic Full-Race Rewind” series.

Critique

After more than five decades on ABC, the Indianapolis 500 telecasts had seemingly reached a state of stagnation by 2018. NBC taking over the duties in 2019 provided a much-needed “B-12 shot” and ushered in a new sense of direction, increased promotion, and overall rejuvenation. NBC did a good job of cross-promoting the race, and ‘pulled out a lot of stops’ so to speak with a large on-air crew and more hours of live coverage than ABC/ESPN had provided in years. After Leigh Diffey had called Formula One and other IndyCar races for several seasons, it was satisfying to see him finally get an opportunity to call the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” With rain in the forecast for race day in 2019, in an ironic twist, NBC almost suffered the same fate that ABC experienced (a rainout) when they attempted to carry the race live for the first time in 1986. NBC lucked out, however, as the large band of showers broke apart in the early morning hours and drifted south and north of central Indiana. Based on the final ratings, network executives had to have been both pleased (ratings were from 2018) and disappointed at the same time (ratings expectations were probably a tad bit higher).

2020

COVID-19 postponement

NBC Sports was scheduled to carry their second Indianapolis 500 on Sunday May 24, 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in major changes to the sports world. The IndyCar Series season opener at St. Petersburg (scheduled for Sunday March 15) was cancelled on Friday of that weekend, and the teams were sent home. About two weeks later on March 26, the Indianapolis 500 was postponed and rescheduled for Sunday August 23. The IndyCar Grand Prix on the combined road course was rescheduled for July 4th weekend (to be part of Brickyard 400 weekend). Over the next few weeks, several other IndyCar Series races were also either cancelled or postponed.

On original race day (May 24), NBC aired a four-hour (2–6 p.m. EDT) special tribute to the race titled “Back Home Again“. Mike Tirico hosted the broadcast, which featured an encore presentation of the 2019 Indy 500 telecast, interviews with Simon Pagenaud and Alexander Rossi (the drivers who finished 1st–2nd in 2019), as well as other various special features. Leigh Diffey provided a preview for the June 6 race at Texas Motor Speedway, which was now slated to serve as the IndyCar Series season opener.

Broadcast Details

Race day was rescheduled for Sunday August 23. The start of the race was shifted from 12:45 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (EDT). The broadcast came on-air on 1 p.m. (EDT), following live coverage of the LPGA AIG Women’s Open (Women’s British Open). It was the latest scheduled start-time for an Indy 500 in race history (but not the latest all-time start time in Indy history).

On-board cameras were mounted in 14 cars including: Josef Newgarden, Pato O’Ward, Oliver Askew, Scott Dixon, Felix Rosenqvist, Graham Rahal, Santino Ferrucci, Simon Pagenaud, Zach Veach, Alexander Rossi, Conor Daly, Jack Harvey, Fernando Alonso, the pace car, and the IndyCar two-seater (driven by Mario Andretti during the parade laps). The race cars listed each carried two cameras, one 180° rotating camera on the top of the roll bar, and a camera facing the driver.

With the adoption of the new aeroscreen for 2020, a new camera location for the camera facing the driver was used. From 2012 to 2019, the DW-12 chassis would have an on-board camera mounted in the right rear-view mirror, which looked back at to the driver at an angle. Beginning in 2020, the “cockpit cam” was moved to front/middle of the aeroscreen, looking straight back at the face of the driver’s helmet. It was similar to the cockpit camera used in 1992 with Al Unser Jr. and Danny Sullivan.

Blackout

On June 26, 2020, Speedway officials announced that the race – already rescheduled for August 23 – would be held with 50% spectator capacity. It was also announced that the local blackout would remain in place. A little over three weeks later, however, the spectator capacity was further reduced to 25%, and the local blackout was lifted. Only twelve days later, however, Speedway and local officials decided that the race (including practice and time trials) would be held without spectators. It marked the second time (after 2016) that the local blackout was lifted since the race to went live, flag-to-flag network coverage in 1986.

Since WTHR was permitted to show the race live locally, the customary local, tape-delay broadcast on Sunday night (primetime) did not happen. Since going live in 1986, the local affiliate was permitted to show the telecast in its entirety, but tape-delayed. In the first few years, that airing came about a week or so after race day. Beginning in 1992, the tape-delay airing was a same-day, tape-delay on Sunday night in primetime. For 2020, WTHR aired NBC’s standard lineup on Sunday night, which included an NHL playoff game.

Announcers

A smaller on-air crew was utilized for the 2020 race. The three-man booth crew of Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell, and Paul Tracy called the race for the second year in a row. Paul Tracy, however, was moved out of the broadcast booth in the Pagoda, and reported from a remote location in turn two. Tracy was stationed in the Turn Two Suites, similar to the position that Bobby Unser famously used from 1993 to 1997 on ABC. Tracy spent practice, time trials, and race day in the unoccupied Indianapolis Colts suite on the top floor of the building. Ostensibly, Tracy was moved out of the booth in order to provide some “social distancing”, and have fewer people stationed in the main booth.

Pit reporter and analyst Jon Beekhuis was released from his IndyCar duties on NBC/NBCSN after the 2019 season. Beekhuis had worked IndyCar telecasts on Versus/NBCSN dating back to 2009, and before that for ABC/ESPN dating back to 1991. Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was part of the 2019 telecast, was absent from Indy in 2020. He was instead at Dover covering the NASCAR Cup Series race for NBCSN. Dillon Welch was also at Dover. Analyst, journalist, and “insider” Robin Miller relinquished his on-air role with NBC/NBCSN for 2020 due to health reasons. He was battling cancer and leukemia. Miller contributed to the 2020 broadcasting effort, providing narration for pre-taped features during practice and time trials. Miller died August 25, 2021.

At the conclusion of the race, Marty Snider conducted the winner’s interview in Victory Lane.

Booth	Pits/Garages	Hosts/Pre-Race	Reports/Features
Leigh Diffey Townsend Bell Paul Tracy (turn 2)	Marty Snider Kevin Lee Kelli Stavast	Mike Tirico Danica Patrick	Rutledge Wood
For a complete list of on-air announcers during Practice and Time Trials, see 2020 Archive

Ratings

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted the sports world in 2020, and despite fans not able to attend in person, and a local blackout lifted, it did not translate into a large television audience. The Indy 500 hit a “record low” on NBC, registering a 2.3 rating, and only 3.67 million viewers – down 32% from 2019. The telecast peaked in the final quarter hour (5:30–5:45 p.m. eastern) with 4.641 million viewers watching the finish. The streaming audience was down to 18,000, resulting in a total audience delivery (TAD) of 3.74 million.

Despite the drop, the “500” was the second-most watched sporting event of the weekend, and NBC’s most-watched sporting event since the Vikings/49ers NFL Divisional Round playoff game on January 11. It was also the major sporting event telecast of the summer that experienced the smallest year-over-year percentage drop (-32%). Due to the various postponements across the motorsports world, the Indy 500 telecast on NBC had to compete head-to-head with NBCSN’s NASCAR Xfinity Series and Cup Series live coverage at Dover. Those race earned a 0.52 rating (807,000 viewers) and a 1.19 rating (1.946 million viewers), respectively.

The Indianapolis market (24.9 local rating) led all individually metered cities. However, that was significantly down from the 33.6 local rating that it registered in 2016, the last time the local blackout had been lifted. Cincinnati, Columbus, and Las Vegas tied for second, each with a 6.1 local rating. They were followed by: Nashville (3.8), Hartford/New Haven (3.7), Milwaukee (3.6), West Palm Beach (3.6), Sacramento/Stockton (3.3), and Tampa/St. Petersburg (3.3).

Event	Day	Network	Rating	Viewers
“Back Home Again” special	Sun. 5/24	NBC	0.44	645,000
IndyCar Grand Prix	Sat. 7/5	NBC	0.77	1.139 million
Time Trials	Sat. 8/15	NBC	0.54	824,000
Time Trials	Sun. 8/16	NBC	0.63	933,000
Pre-Race	Sun. 8/23	NBC	1.21	1.859 million
Race	Sun. 8/23	NBC	2.26	3.669 million 3.74 million TAD

The 2020 race telecast is available on the IndyCar Series official YouTube channel (LINK) as part of the “Classic Full-Race Rewind” series.

Critique

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted countless aspects of life, and the sports world was no exception. NBC’s hopes of following up their successful 2019 effort were mostly for naught. Like many other major sports properties, the IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500 had to do some major retooling to their entire season just to get on track. NBC did they best they could with an undesirable situation, and the 2020 Indy 500 (which was also Penske’s first as track owner) managed to be run and went into the history books just like 103 prior editions. One bright spot on the telecast was analyst Paul Tracy’s move over to the Turn Two Suites. It provided a fresh perspective, and suited Tracy well, though it may have only been for “optics” (i.e., portraying social distancing). Unfortunately, the post was abandoned the next year.

It was suggested by some at the time that if the “500” had simply been held on its regularly scheduled day (Sunday May 24), it may have earned a much larger rating. Live sports were almost non-existent during April and May due to the pandemic, and there was a heavy appetite for original television programming – particularly live sports. The Speedway management desperately wanted to hold the race with spectators, and by postponing it to August 23, most parties involved believed it would work out. It didn’t. If they knew it was going to be held “behind-closed-doors” anyway, they could have held it as normal, and it would have been the first major live sporting event on TV since the onset of the pandemic. With a restless and bored public, restricted to their homes, desperate for anything other than reruns (and niche programming like Tiger King), it is possible the “500” could have attracted a huge casual audience. We will never know what the numbers could have been, though NASCAR – which elected o restart their season one week earlier – had solid numbers for Darlington on May 17.

2021

 

Broadcast Details

The 2021 Indianapolis 500 saw a return – albeit a limited return – to normalcy after the COVID-19 pandemic derailed the sports world in 2020. Spectators were allowed to attend, and the race was back to its traditional Memorial Day weekend slot. Pre-race coverage began at 9 a.m. (EDT) on NBCSN, moving over to NBC at 11 a.m. Then a one-hour post-race show on NBCSN was scheduled to begin at 4 o’clock. The NBC/IMS Productions telecast production featured 103 cameras, including seven super-slow-motion cameras, the first-ever drone camera, and a 125-member crew.

On-board cameras were fitted in at least fifteen cars, including: race winner Helio Castroneves, pole winner Scott Dixon, second place finisher Alex Palou, third place finisher Simon Pagenaud,  fourth place finisher Pato O’Ward, Colton Herta, Tony Kanaan, Will Power, Jack Harvey, Alexander Rossi, Takuma Sato, Conor Daly, Graham Rahal, Scott McLaughlin, and Felix Rosenqvist. Each car carried two cameras, one 180° rotating camera on the top of the roll bar, and a camera facing the driver. At least one car (Sato) also had the front nose cone cam.

Blackout

For 2021, despite ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was announced in February that the plan was to hold the race with at least some spectators in attendance. Over the next several weeks, Speedway officials worked closely with state and local government officials to determine an acceptable number of fans. Meanwhile, between 170,000 to 180,000 grandstand tickets had been sold, the vast majority likely from renewals. Though the Speedway does not announce official attendance figures, there are known (ca. 2021) to be about 237,000 grandstand seats, upwards of 75,000 fans in the infield, and an overall capacity of approximately 350,000 on race day.

The Speedway gave existing ticket holders the option once again to forego their tickets (without losing their seniority) and credit them towards the next year’s order. About 35,000 tickets were reportedly returned for a credit towards 2022 race tickets. On April 21, the official announcement was made that the race would be held with 40% capacity (approximately 135,000 spectators) allowed. The infield viewing areas were closed, and general admission was not offered. However, at the time, no decision had been made regarding the local television blackout. Ancillary events such as the Mini-Marathon, Carb Day Concert, Snake Pit Concert, 500 Festival Parade, and other traditional events were for the most part outright cancelled or significantly curtailed.

On May 27, three days before the race, the Speedway announced that all 135,000 tickets made available for the race had been sold. As a result, the local television blackout was lifted. It was the second year in a row that the blackout was lifted, and third time overall (2016, 2020, 2021) since the race went to live, flag-to-flag coverage on network television in 1986.

Announcers

After a reduced on-air crew was used in 2020 due to COVID-19, the 2021 race broadcast welcomed back a full broadcasting team on NBC. For the third year in the row, the booth crew consisted of Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell, and Paul Tracy. Tracy was back in the booth at the Pagoda, this despite him reporting from the Turn Two Suites vantage point in 2020, a move that was well-received at the time. The pre-race coverage was again hosted by Mike Tirico and Danica Patrick, joined once again by Dale Earnhardt Jr. (who had missed the 2020 race due to covering the NASCAR race at Dover). Absent again was Robin Miller, who had covered the “500” dating back fifty years for The Indianapolis Star newspaper, network/cable television (NBC, ESPN, Speed), local television, radio, and Racer magazine. It was Miller’s final “500”, this time just as a spectator, as he died of leukemia three months later on August 25.

New to the on-air crew was seven-time NASCAR champion, and four-time Brickyard 400 winner Jimmie Johnson. During the offseason, Johnson departed NASCAR and joined the IndyCar Series as a part-time competitor. Johnson would drive the #48 car for Chip Ganassi Racing at road/street courses during 2021 (including the IndyCar Grand Prix on the IMS road course), but skipped all of the oval events that season. Tony Kanaan drove the #48 car during the oval races, including at the 2021 Indy 500. Johnson was assigned to the NBC “Peacock Pit Box” serving as analyst alongside fellow “500” newcomer Steve Letarte (a former crew chief of Hendrick Motorsports). Letarte had been working NASCAR races on NBC since 2015.

The hourlong race morning pre-race show on NBCSN was hosted by Jac Collinsworth (son of former NFL player, and NBC Sports commentator Cris Collinsworth). In the pit area, Dave Burns, who had been covering auto racing on ESPN and NBC dating back to as early as 1999, made his Indy 500 debut as pit reporter. Burns joined pit veterans Marty Snider, Kevin Lee,  and Kelli Stavast (reporting at her final “500” – See below).

Booth	Pits/Garages	Hosts/Pre-Race	Reports/Features
Leigh Diffey Townsend Bell Paul Tracy	Marty Snider Dave Burns Kevin Lee Kelli Stavast	Mike Tirico (NBC) Jac Collinsworth (NBCSN) Danica Patrick Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Jimmie Johnson (pit box) Steve Letarte (pit box) Rutledge Wood
For a complete list of on-air announcers during the Open Test, Practice, and Time Trials, see 2021 Archive

Ratings

After an all-time low occurred in 2020 (in large part due to the COVID-19 pandemic), the 2021 race viewership surged to a five-year high. NBC averaged 5.55 million viewers, and including streaming data, the race had a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 5.58 million. Viewership was up 51% from 2020, and it was the largest audience since the 100th running in 2016 (on ABC). It was also NBC’s highest “500”, up 2% from their debut race in 2019. The race was the most-watched sporting event of the week, beating out the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 (FOX) and several NBA playoff games.

The telecast peaked in the final fifteen minutes (3:15-3:30 p.m. EDT) with 7.13 million viewers.

With the local blackout lifted once again, Indianapolis had the highest rating for an individual market (21.3 rating). That figure was down 14% from 2020 (24.9), but that could have been partially attributed to the fact that spectators were permitted to attend in-person, as opposed to 2020, when the event was run behind closed doors. In local ratings, the remainder of the top five markets were: Dayton (8.1), Cincinnati (8.1), Ft. Meyers (6.3), Louisville (6.3).

Event	Day	Network	Rating	Viewers
GMR Grand Prix	Sat. 5/15	NBC	0.64	1.027 million
Time Trials	Sat. 5/22	NBCSN	0.17	270,000
Time Trials	Sun. 5/23	NBC	0.39	649,000
Pre-Race	Sun. 5/30	NBC	1.52	2.505 million
Race	Sun. 5/30	NBC	3.15	5.547 million

The 2021 race telecast is available on the IndyCar Series official YouTube channel (LINK) as part of the “Classic Full-Race Rewind” series.

Critique

The 2021 Indy 500 telecast was NBC’s best, both in terms of ratings and overall presentation. After a disjointed, somewhat “rump” 2020 season (due to COVID-19), the 2021 IndyCar Series season – while not entirely back to normal – made major steps back towards normalcy. Spectators were allowed for the 2021 “500” and much was made of the fact that the event was the largest-attended sporting event since the onset of the pandemic. NBC struck gold with a very competitive race, near-perfect weather, and a hugely popular winner – Helio Castroneves won his record-tying fourth Indy 500. The race was run with only two brief cautions, and the final 76 laps were run under green. The action progressed quickly, keeping viewers engaged, and there was no need for any [oft-controversial] late-race red flags to ensure a green flag finish. The post-race coverage was superb, as directors kept live cameras rolling during Castroneves’ famous fence climb and impromptu, lengthy front-stretch celebration. It is likely that the fast race (the race was run at a record average speed of 190.690 mph) was a factor in them being able to do that. There was plenty of TV window time remaining; it was not a “quick-off” situation and there was seemingly no need to cut away immediately.

Not known at the time, but former driver Paul Tracy was serving as color analyst for the final time. Despite a years-long public “feud” with Helio Castroneves over the controversial finish of the 2002 Indianapolis 500, Tracy was nothing but complementary of Castroneves regarding his victory. During his victory lane interview, however, Castroneves made a playful jab at Tracy:

Castroneves: “P.T., P.T., I know you’ve been talking about that third…[sic]…that second win, P.T., I’m sorry man, but uh…that was my win. There is no…and now it’s just confirmed, just another win!”

To which Tracy later responded during the NBCSN post-race show – referring to their upcoming races in the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) series:

Tracy: “He’s the Tom Brady of…of…IndyCar racing. This guy does not get any older. He’s as fast as he ever was. But hey, I gotta say something. He threw a little shots fired at me! About…about…the win…and…in our situation. So, him and I are going racing next month…and uh…I’m gonna take that smile off his face!…I hope!”

2022

Broadcast Details

The 2022 Indianapolis 500 was NBC’s fourth overall, and first of a three-year contract extension signed the previous summer. On-board cameras were fitted in at least fourteen cars, including: pole winner Scott Dixon, defending race winner Helio Castroneves, second place finisher Pato O’Ward, Simon Pagenaud, Colton Herta, Will Power, Jack Harvey, Alexander Rossi, Connor Daly, Graham Rahal, Felix Rosenqvist, Alex Palou, Christian Lundgaard, and eventual rookie of the year Jimmie Johnson. Each car carried two cameras, one 180° rotating camera on the top of the roll bar, and a camera facing the driver. At least one three cars (Power, Rosenqvist, Lundgaard) also had the front nose cone cam.

On Saturday May 14, leading in to the GMR Grand Prix broadcast, a special was aired on NBC titled “Pennzoil presents The Club“. The documentary profiled the four drivers who have won the Indianapolis 500 four times: A.J. Foyt, Al Unser Sr., Rick Mears, and new member of said “club” Helio Castroneves. The hour-long program aired from 2-3 p.m. EDT, and included interviews and a rare gathering of the four. It was taped during the summer of 2021 and would be the only time all four men were together as four-time winners – Unser died about five months after taping on December 9 of that year.

Blackout

There were no COVID-19 attendance restrictions in place for the 2022 race. High ticket demand was reported for the first ‘fully attended’ Indy 500 in three years. However, despite the anticipation, during the early part of the month of May, the race was trending just short of a sell out. Come race weekend, about 5,000 or so tickets were left unsold, and the local television blackout (on WTHR-13) was maintained. It was the first time the local blackout would be in effect since 2019. It was a signal that the Speedway – in its third “500” under Penske management – was still not ready to permanently eschew the longtime local blackout policy.

Though the race was not shown live on WTHR, it was available live in the Indianapolis area on the streaming platform Peacock Premium. NBC reportedly did not yet have the technology needed for “geofencing” (a process used to block online streaming viewing in a specific area), so the Speedway agreed to let the Peacock broadcast stream locally, at least for 2022. Following the customary practice, WTHR aired the race telecast locally on Sunday evening on same-day tape-delay beginning at 7 p.m. (EDT).

During the live race broadcast window in the afternoon, WTHR aired a tape of NBC’s “Meet the Press” (which had been pre-empted earlier due to traditional local race morning news coverage), and a series of paid programs (‘Infomercials’). Unlike some other years, they did not air NBC’s regularly scheduled Sunday primetime lineup.

Announcers

Paul Tracy parted ways with NBC after the 2021 season. After an eight-year stint on NBC/NBCSN, his contract was not renewed for 2022. The often outspoken Tracy had been a popular, but sometimes controversial personality. His role had already been scaled back in 2021 to just six races (including Indy). He was also competing the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) series, which conflicted with some of his schedule. Tracy was replaced in the booth by James Hinchcliffe, who retired from racing at the end of the 2021 season.

Also absent from NBC’s on-air crew in 2022 was pit reporter Kelli Stavast. On October 2, 2021, Stavast was working the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Talladega (Sparks 300) on NBCSN. While interviewing race winner Brandon Brown, she became caught up in what became known as the “Let’s Go Brandon” incident. Stavast appeared on two additional NASCAR weekends with NBC/NBCSN before the season concluded. During the offseason, while no announcements were ever made, NBC’s contract with Stavast was quietly, but noticeably not renewed. Her role was filled by Dillon Welch, son of former ABC/ESPN reporter Vince Welch. It is believed that Dillon Welch is the first second-generation television reporter at the Indy 500.

After spending the month of May 2021 as a guest analyst on NBC (“Peacock Pit Box”), Jimmie Johnson was instead behind the wheel for the 2022 Indy 500. Johnson had moved over to the IndyCar Series – but drove only a part-time schedule of road/street course races in 2021. For the 2022 season, Johnson ran the full IndyCar Series schedule, including his first (and to-date, only) Indy 500. Dale Earnhardt Jr., covering his third “500”, worked both as mid-race analyst on the “Peacock Pit Box” and as pre-race roving reporter with Rutledge Wood.

Booth	Pits/Garages	Hosts/Pre-Race	Reports/Features
Leigh Diffey Townsend Bell James Hinchcliffe	Marty Snider Dave Burns Kevin Lee Dillon Welch	Mike Tirico Danica Patrick	Rutledge Wood Dale Earnhardt Jr.
For a complete list of on-air announcers during the Open Test, Practice, and Time Trials, see 2022 Archive

Ratings

Viewership for the 2022 race was down 14% from 2021. For the first time since 2019, the live telecast of the race was blackout out locally. In the Indianapolis market, the race was aired in its familiar tape-delay, primetime slot on Sunday night. The WTHR airing registered a 5.7 local rating. Despite being down, the Indy out-rated the Daytona 500 for the first time since 1995.

The average streaming audience on Peacock was 218,000 which combined with the NBC average audience, combined for a Total Audience Deliver (TAD) of 4.84 million. The huge increase of viewers on Peacock – ten times the number from 2021, and up 534% – could be attributed to the fact that local viewers in the Indianapolis market were able to watch the live telecast through Peacock (but not on WTHR-13 until the evening).

Event	Day	Network	Rating	Viewers
Pennzoil Presents The Club	Sat. 5/14	NBC	–	–
IndyCar Grand Prix	Sat. 5/14	NBC	0.60	998,000
Time Trials	Sun. 5/22	NBC	0.56	915,000
Pre-Race	Sun. 5/29	NBC	1.22	1.882 million
Race	Sun. 5/29	NBC	2.69	4.618 million 4.836 million (TAD)

The 2022 race telecast is available on the IndyCar Series official YouTube channel (LINK) as part of the “Full-Race Replay” series.

Critique

After a great race in 2021, ratings slipped in 2022 for a variety of factors. The late-race red flag set up an exciting two-lap shootout for the win, and the production quality was excellent as always.

2023

 

Broadcast Details

A major change was made behind the scenes in time for the 2023 Indianapolis 500. The television broadcasting complex, for decades housed in the infield (behind the Tower Terrace grandstands), was relocated to a plot of land outside of turn four. The area formerly used by broadcasting was converted into additional spectator midway area, as well as parking, and other general usage.

A special two-hour pre-race show aired on race morning on Peacock from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. EDT. This segment was scheduled to include the Snake Pit concert performance by DJ Diesel (Shaquille O’Neal), but his appearance had to be cancelled last-minute.

On-board cameras were fitted in at least twelve cars, including: Rinus Veekay, Kyle Kirkwood, Alexander Rossi, Will Power, Scott Dixon, Felix Rosenqvist, Colton Herta, Pato O’Ward, Helio Castroneves, Jack Harvey, Scott McLaughlin, and Augustin Canapino. Each car carried two cameras, one 180° rotating camera on the top of the roll bar, and a camera facing the driver. A new innovation used on the broadcast was a track-level wind gauge in all four corners. Previously, wind speeds were only measurable and observable at high vantage points in the turns, making them less accurate to what winds and breezes the cars were experiencing.

Blackout

The telecast was blacked-out locally on WTHR-13. In addition, for 2023 it was also blacked-out from local streaming viewers on Peacock. Ticket sales were outpacing 2022, but not by enough to predict a complete sellout. By race day, less than 5,000 tickets remained. It was not enough to lift the blackout.

Maintaining the blackout, in general, was criticized, with some calling it a “relic“. At times it has been contrasted with the fact that the NFL – which started local game blackouts in 1973 (specifically for local home games which were not considered ‘sold out’ prior to 72 before kickoff) – had essentially eliminated them permanently starting with their 2015 season.

WTHR aired the race locally, per the normal fashion since 1992, in same-day, tape-delay in primetime. The broadcast came on-air at 7 p.m. (EDT). During regular race broadcast window in the afternoon, WTHR aired some of the regularly-scheduled NBC Sunday night lineup (“The Blacklist” and “Magnum P.I.”)

Announcers

The on-air crew for 2023 was nearly identical to 2022, the lone exception being Steve Letarte, who returned after a one-year absence. Leigh Diffey called his fifth Indy 500, joined again in the booth by Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Dale Earnhardt Jr. served as roving reporter (accompanied  by Letarte) during the pre-race, then later sat in at the “Peacock Pit Box” as in-race analyst. This would be Earnhardt’s final “500”, as he departed NBC Sports at year’s end to eventually sign with Amazon Prime and TNT (Amazon Prime and TNT signed new contracts, respectively, to each cover a slate of mid-season NASCAR races beginning in 2025).

Jimmie Johnson, who served as guest analyst on NBC in 2021, then drove in the race in 2022, was absent for 2023. He had returned to racing part-time in NASCAR starting with the 2023 season. Johnson was instead at Charlotte to drive in the Coca-Cola 600, though that race would be postponed to Monday due to rain.

Booth	Pits/Garages	Hosts/Pre-Race	Reports/Features
Leigh Diffey Townsend Bell James Hinchcliffe	Marty Snider Dave Burns Kevin Lee Dillon Welch	Mike Tirico Danica Patrick	Dale Earnhardt Jr. Steve Letarte Rutledge Wood
For a complete list of on-air announcers during the Open Test, Practice, and Time Trials, see 2023 Archive

Ratings

The 2023 race had a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 4.927 million viewers, up 2% from 2022 (4.84 million). Registering a 2.65 rating/13 share, it was the highest share for the race since 2008 (which also had a 13). The audience peaked in the final 15 minutes (4:00-4:15 p.m.) with 5.8 million viewers.

The race was noted as the most-streamed IndyCar Series race to-date (across Peacock and NBC Sports digital platforms) with an Average Minute Audience (AMA) of 286,000. This despite the streaming telecast being geoblocked and not available live in the Indianapolis and Lafayette areas.

The Indianapolis market, airing the race on same-day tape delay on Sunday night on WTHR-13, registered a 9.5 local rating. As is typical, it was the largest local rating in the country. The rest of the nation was led by Dayton (6.3), Louisville (6.0), Knoxville (4.8), Cincinnati (4.7), Greensboro (4.6), Greenville (4.6), Ft. Meyers-Naples (4.6), Phoenix (4.5) and Sacramento (4.2). The local rating in Indianapolis was up comfortably compared to 2022 (5.7), but down substantially from the same-day tape delay race on WRTV-6 in 2017 (14.2). The 2023 race was also down considerably – albeit it is unfair to compare – to the 2020 live local showing (24.9) and the 2021 live local showing (21.3).

Event	Day	Network	Rating	Viewers
IndyCar Grand Prix	Sat. 5/13	NBC	0.46	715,000
Time Trials	Sat. 5/20	NBC	0.47	746,000
Time Trials	Sun. 5/21	NBC	0.56	842,000
Pre-Race	Sun. 5/28	NBC	1.28	2.144 million
Race	Sun. 5/28	NBC	2.65	4.716 million 4.92 million (TAD)

The 2023 race telecast is available on the IndyCar Series official YouTube channel (LINK) as part of the “Full-Race Replay” series.

Critique

With multiple late-race red flags, the ending was a bit drawn out and disjoined, but the final 15 minutes still generated a decent quarter-hour rating. In year five, NBC’s production was again excellent, however, they were not making the long-term ratings gains they probably hoping for. It was around this time that rumors began to circulate that IndyCar and NBC might not be heading towards an inevitable contract renewal. With one year still left on their deal, it was certainly not a foregone conclusion that IndyCar would be on NBC Sports in 2025, but there was still a lot of racing and a lot of negotiations left to go.

2024

Broadcast Details

NBC’s sixth and final Indy 500 came on-air on Sunday May 26 at 11 a.m. (EDT) with the start scheduled for 12:45 p.m. Unlike some previous years, no extra Sunday morning pre-race show aired on Peacock. A heavy thunderstorm swept through the Indianapolis area around noon, which delayed the start of the race by four hours. Rain delay coverage consisted of interviews, features, and an encore of the 2023 race. The start of the race was pushed to 4:45 p.m., and live coverage went uninterrupted throughout the afternoon and into the evening. The race ended just before 7:45 p.m., and NBC signed-off at 8:15 p.m.

The April Open Test, Practice, Time Trials (Saturday) and Carb Day aired exclusively on Peacock. Race day aired live across NBC, Universo, and Peacock.

Various innovations for 2024 included virtual-car graphics, an increased number of “SpyCams” along pit lane, and advanced real-time data, statistics, and telemetry.

Blackout

Going into the 2024 race, grandstand ticket sales were reported to be trending ahead of 2023. As the month of May drew closer, the potential for a sell out was being discussed. The possibility of lifting the local television blackout was floated – if the grandstand seating sold out – but no official announcements were made. On the Wednesday before the race, about 5,000 tickets remained unsold, falling just short of a grandstand sellout. A questionable weather forecast may have been responsible for the last-minute stall in sales. As a result, the Speedway announced that the local television blackout would remain in place.

On race day, the gates opened on-time at 6 a.m. under mostly clear skies, and fans began to file into the track. Around 11 a.m., weather radar started showing storms moving towards the vicinity of the track. At 11:17 a.m., officials halted the pre-race ceremonies, and requested that the spectators begin exiting the grandstands due to nearby lighting. A heavy thunderstorm swept through the area, starting around 12:30 p.m., lasting about an hour and a half. Shortly after 2 p.m., the grandstands were reopened, the track was dried, and the start of the race was moved to 4:45 p.m. During the delay, officials elected to lift the local television blackout. This was to accommodate fans who had to change their plans due to the weather. It was the third time in five years the local blackout was lifted, and the fourth time since going to a live telecast in 1986.

Announcers

The on-air crew for 2024 was mostly the same from 2023. However, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte were absent, replaced in those roles with Jeff Burton and Kim Coon. Earnhardt had departed NBC sports after the 2023 season in order to join Amazon Prime and TNT for their NASCAR coverage, which is set to begin in 2025. Jimmie Johnson, who raced in IndyCar from 2021–2022 (including the Indy 500 in 2022), returned to the crew. Johnson was scheduled to do television “Double Duty”. He was to serve as a pre-race analyst, and then fly to Charlotte to race in the Coca-Cola 600 later in the evening. However, due to the rain delay, Johnson elected to depart for Charlotte early.

Booth	Pits/Garages	Hosts/Pre-Race	Reports/Features
Leigh Diffey Townsend Bell James Hinchcliffe	Marty Snider Dave Burns Kevin Lee Dillon Welch	Mike Tirico Danica Patrick	Jeff Burton Kim Coon Jimmie Johnson
For a complete list of on-air announcers during the Open Test, Practice, and Time Trials, see 2024 Archive

Ratings

The 2024 Indy 500 was up 8% in terms of viewers compared to the 2023 race. NBC reported – from Fast Nationals – a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 5.344 million across NBC, Peacock, and NBC Sports Digital platforms. The race coverage peaked at 6.46 million viewers at the finish (7:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.). The race was noted as the most-streamed IndyCar race with an Average Minute Audience (AMA) of 286,000. The audience on NBC was an average of 5.02 million.

Due to the four-hour rain delay, the local blackout of the race portion was lifted. The live broadcast earned an 18.15 rating and 54 share on WTHR-13 in the Indianapolis market. According to SportsMediaWatch.com, the race was the second-most watched sporting event of the day, and finished ahead of the Coca-Cola 600, which partially overlapped with the “500”, and also experienced rain (the 600 started on-time but was rain-shortened).

The first day of Time Trials (Saturday May 18) was shown exclusively on Peacock, with no coverage on NBC or their cable partners, and therefore did not register official ratings. The second day of Time Trials (Sunday May 19) aired on NBC, and registered 1.145 million viewers.

Event	Day	Network	Rating	Viewers
Sonsio Grand Prix	Sat. 5/11	NBC	0.52	875,000
Time Trials	Sun. 5/19	NBC	0.7	1.145 million
Pre-Race	Sun. 5/26	NBC	1.3	2.261 million
Rain Delay	Sun. 5/26	NBC	1.4	2.539 million
Race	Sun. 5/26	NBC	2.6	5.344 million (TAD)

The 2024 race telecast is available on the IndyCar Series official YouTube channel (LINK) as part of the “Full-Race Replay” series.

Critique

NBC’s final “500” was once again superb in quality. Although it was noticed by many that they eliminated all network/cable coverage of the first day of time trials. Whether official or not, it was inevitable that NBC was not going to renew their contract with the IndyCar Series. They went out with a bang, dealing with their first (and only) Indy 500 rain delay. They stayed with the broadcast all Sunday afternoon, and did not divert programming, nor did they shift it over to cable. Since late-afternoon weather cooperated, the race went off without a hitch, and after late-race red flags the previous two years, the 2024 race graciously went caution-free over the final 46 laps. The relatively swift race also resulted in enough time to air some post-race coverage including the winner’s interview, without the frantic rush of a quick-off.

The only minor criticism – which thankfully did not come to pass – was that if the race had been postponed until Monday, indications were that it was going to be shifted over to cable (likely USA Network) and not air on NBC proper, even though Monday was a holiday (Memorial Day). NBC instead was scheduled to air live coverage of French Open tennis on Monday afternoon. During the ABC years, if rain postponed the “500”, the race was still locked-in to airing live on ABC proper. Such was the case most-recently in 1997, when rain delayed the start of the race until Monday, and the conclusion until Tuesday.

Theme Music

During NBC’s run from 2019 to 2024, the main theme music utilized for IndyCar telecasts, including the Indy 500, was titled “Indy 500 Main Theme” composed by Current Music’s Aram Mandossian and produced by Christian Salyer. Numerous variations and short edits were utilized at different times.

Technical Staff

The following is a selected list of producers and technical staff (specifically not on-air talent) for the NBC / IMS Productions coverage of the Indianapolis 500 from 2019 to 2024.

2019

• Coordinating Producer: Rich O’Connor
• Producer: Terry Linger
• Director: Michael Wells
• Associate Director: Robin Russo
• Pit Producer: Rene Hatlelid

2020

• Sr. Producer: John Barnes
• Producer: Terry Linger
• Director: Michael Wells, Sean Owens (Practice)
• Associate Director: Robin Russo
• Pit Producer: Rene Hatlelid, Amy Zimmerman (Practice)

2021

• Sr. Producer: John Barnes
• Producer: Rene Hatlelid
• Director: Sean Owens (Race), Mike Sheehan (Pre-race), Roger Vincent (Practice/Quals relief)
• Associate Director: Chris Gray (Race), Chris Yip (Pre-race)
• Race Consultant: Terry Linger
• Pit Producer: Amy Zimmerman (Race), Trevor Gavin (Pre-race)

2022

• Sr. Producer: John Barnes
• Producer: Rene Hatlelid
• Director: Sean Owens
• Associate Director: Chris Yip
• Pit Producer: Kaleb Combs

2023

• Sr. Producer: Rene Hatlelid
• Director: Sean Owens (Race), Mike Sheehan (Pre-race)
• Associate Director: Chris Gray (Race), Carolyn Costa (Pre-race)
• Pit Producer: Kaleb Combs

2024

• Sr. Producer: Rene Hatlelid (Race), John Barnes (Pre-race)
• Director: Sean Owens, Mike Sheehan (Pre-race)
• Associate Director: Chris Gray (Race), Carolyn Costa (Pre-race)
• Pit Producer: Kaleb Combs, Keith D’Alessandro (Pre-race)

Additional Links

• 100 Days to Indy: Season One Ratings (The CW)
• 100 Days to Indy: Season Two Ratings (The CW)
• Behind the Bricks: Behind the Cameras
• Behind the Bricks: How Indy 500 TV Is Made
• Behind the Bricks: Changes To Expect at IMS This May
• Russ Thompson