Indy 500 sells out, lifts local TV blackout (Update)
With the sellout, the long-standing practice of blacking out the live television broadcast in Indianapolis has been lifted and Indianapolis ABC affiliate WRTV-TV will air the race live. WRTV-TV also will continue its traditional 7 p.m. ET re-air of the race telecast.
It will be only the third time that the race will be broadcast live on television in Central Indiana and the first time since 1950.
ABC, which is televising the Indianapolis 500 for the 52nd consecutive year, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway have one of the longest-running active relationships between a network and a sporting event, with the race first airing on ABC’s Wide World of Sports in 1965. ABC’s first live telecast was in 1986.
ABC’s telecast, which also will be streaming live on WatchESPN, begins at 11 a.m. ET. Full coverage details HERE
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| Miles announces complete sellout |
05/25/16 Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials announced that the local TV blackout has been lifted for this year’s Indianapolis 500.
Hulman & Company CEO Mark Miles joined IMS President Doug Boles to make the announcement Wednesday morning.
“With no way to accommodate more fans … we’re also announcing we’ll suspend the television delay," Miles said.
IMS announced that all of the suites, reserved seating and infield general admission tickets for the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 are sold out. They say it’s the first sellout in Indy 500 history.
Miles said there will be a way to accommodate people who didn’t buy general admission tickets but still have Snakepit passes and parking passes.
“We felt like if we kept selling, we might sell another 30,000+ tickets … we felt it was not appropriate," Miles said.
Boles advised people to get there early, plan ahead and be patient.