IndyCar Audience Growth: FOX Partnership Delivers Significant Results
The recent Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio marked a significant achievement for the IndyCar Series, recording an average viewership of 775,000 on FOX. This brings the cumulative audience for the first ten races of the season to 15.01 million, demonstrating substantial growth since the series’ transition to its new broadcast partner.
Over the entirety of the upcoming 2024 season, IndyCar anticipates a total audience of approximately 20 million across 18 broadcasts, including the non-championship Thermal event. Historical comparisons reveal that the FOX network has outpaced the previous partner NBC despite hosting eight fewer races, primarily due to the consistent coverage on its main channel.
Penske Entertainment CEO Mark Miles emphasized the success of the FOX and IndyCar partnership, stating, “Viewership is significantly on the rise and defying industry trends while promotion continues to be impressively strong.” This positive trajectory is essential for teams like Ed Carpenter Racing, which seeks to leverage increased exposure to attract new sponsors.
Carpenter remarked on the improved perspective regarding viewership metrics, noting, “The sum is way better than what it was in the past.” He expressed satisfaction with FOX’s commitment, highlighting benefits from having races consistently featured on a primary network.
IndyCar has also reported a 100% increase in viewership among the critical 18-34 demographic on FOX, signaling a healthy growth in youth engagement. Carpenter acknowledged this expanded reach as pivotal for sponsors, such as Java House, who recently committed to become the entitlement sponsor for the upcoming Java House Monterey Grand Prix.
“This does show belief in the direction of the sport and the opportunities that lie within,” Carpenter stated. The collaboration with FOX appears to be accelerating not only viewership but also financial and brand engagement within the motorsports arena.
