After a thrilling race weekend in St. Louis, IndyCar is celebrating more than just the race win. The IndyCar race broadcasts have been taking off since switching outlets.
Thanks to some schedule changes from Fox, a few races on IndyCar’s calendar had new start times to avoid competing too much with the viewership of NASCAR. One of the major changes made this year was the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 in St. Louis, being turned into a night race.
The race aired on Sunday night, June 15, during a prime time spot at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time. That Sunday was also Father’s Day weekend, when most families want sports in the background during their celebrations. But that did not stop fans, new and old alike, from tuning into the excitement.
IndyCar’s Fox Primetime Slot Paid Off In St Louis
According to Adam Stern at The Sports Business Journal, this year’s broadcast of the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 garnered a total of 1.012 million views on Fox. This is an increase of more than 500,000 viewers in comparison to last year.
.@FoxSports got 1.012 million viewers for Sunday night’s @IndyCar race @WWTRaceway, up from 537,000 last year on @USANetwork when it ran on a Saturday in August. pic.twitter.com/sEjVTKvOOq
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) June 17, 2025
Not only is this result a major shift from last year, but it shows that Fox is slowly but surely finding their audience and getting views for IndyCar. Whether these viewers are new or old fans, there’s a core group of people who are constantly tuning into the races.
Last weekend’s race was the third consecutive race to hit the one million mark in viewership. The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix had 1.061 million viewers, which was a 75% increase from last year. Meanwhile, the Indy 500 had a total of 7.05 million views, which was a 40% increase from 2024.
Formula 1’s Canadian Grand Prix got 1.9 million viewers and even fewer during the full TV window. This comes after the titan of motorsport announced that the Canadian GP would go head-to-head with the Indy 500 in 2026.
Read More: The 2026 Indianapolis 500 Clashes With F1’s Canadian Grand Prix
A Comparison to 2024’s Broadcast
The recent numbers have shown that Fox has done a good job getting people interested in IndyCar and maintaining their interest.
The exception to this is the race at the Thermal Club that many fans have deemed a bit more boring. Last year’s run at Thermal, being an exhibition race and now counting for championship points, didn’t do much to gain interest.
However, since then, the races have seen an increase in viewership across the board. When IndyCar was airing on NBC, little adjustments, such as schedule changes, weren’t made. Fox is taking the sport and allowing a bit of a spotlight to shine on IndyCar without having to compete against other racing series for views.
What Is Next For IndyCar in 2025?
There are nine races left in the season. Something to keep an eye out for is how steady the viewership is from now until the end of August. The next race is at Road America, a fan favorite and a track many of the drivers have said they enjoy.
While the time change benefited the race in St. Louis, other races have had their broadcast times change in hopes of replicating the success seen.
❗️ PRIMETIME ALERT ❗️#INDYCAR and @FOXSports reveal updated start times, including the first-ever primetime network race at St. Louis on June 15. pic.twitter.com/6FWZE0Nsmc
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) May 14, 2025
These are the key races to follow in terms of viewership. Can IndyCar keep up this streak of increased viewership? Could this be the beginning of the resurgence the series has needed? Time and viewers will only tell.
Read Next: Kyle Kirkwood Conquers The Night In St. Louis
Main Photo: James Black, Penske Entertainment
Recording Date: 6/15/2025
