Indianapolis 500 Draws 7M Viewers Highest Since 2008

The 2025 Indianapolis 500, broadcast for the first time on Fox Sports, drew its largest television audience in 17 years, averaging 7.05 million viewers according to Nielsen. This represented a 40% increase from the previous year’s 5.02 million viewers on NBC and peaked at 8.4 million during the race's conclusion. Fox's aggressive promotion of the event, including ads starting during the NFL playoffs and innovative advertising approaches during the broadcast, contributed to the surge in viewership. The race also outperformed the Daytona 500 in viewership for only the second time since 2001, with Daytona averaging 6.76 million viewers despite rain delays. While Fox’s coverage boosted the Indy 500’s numbers significantly, overall IndyCar viewership outside the race remains modest, with recent event ratings notably lower. The switch from NBC to Fox marked a renewed broadcast partnership for IndyCar, which had a long history with ABC before NBC’s recent tenure.