Verizon IndyCar Series Increases TV Ratings and Viewership for Second Consecutive Year

UPDATE

The Verizon IndyCar Series, in its second season of a shortened schedule, averaged 1.16 million viewers for 16 race telecasts across ABC and NBCSN, marking the series’ best audience since the ’12 season. The average was up 13% from 1.03 million viewers last year and up 22% from 953,000 viewers in ’13. ABC’s five races were up 3% this season, while NBCSN had its best performance since acquiring rights in ‘09, with viewership up 34% from ’14. ABC’s audience was boosted by the net’s best Indianapolis 500 audience since ’12.

NBCSN, which aired 11 races this season, was boosted by its most-viewed IndyCar race on record, the season-ending Sonoma race, which drew 841,000 viewers last Sunday. The NBCSN telecast also was the best IndyCar race on cable TV since ESPN drew 947,000 viewers for the Richmond race in ’08. Coming into the ’15 season, NBCSN had not drawn above 500,000 viewers for an IndyCar race since ’11. The net passed that mark in each of its last six races this season. Austin Karp/SportsbusinessDaily

INDYCAR VIEWERSHIP TREND ON ABC/NBCSN
SEASON	RACES	VIEWERS (000)
'15	16	1,162
'14	17	1,025
'13	19	953
'12	15	1,222

09/02/15 Key Points

In 2015, Verizon IndyCar Series television broadcast/cable ratings and viewership increased 15 percent and 16 percent, respectively.
2015 was the second consecutive year of overall viewership growth for INDYCAR. Since the 2013 season, INDYCAR has increased average TV ratings and viewership by 36 percent and 38 percent, respectively.
2015 was most-watched Verizon IndyCar Series season on NBCSN and the third consecutive year of growth on the network. The final six telecasts of the season were six of the 10 most-viewed ever on NBCSN. The Mid-Ohio and Sonoma races set a new benchmark and were the two most viewed in the history of INDYCAR on NBCSN.
This year's season finale at Sonoma was the highest-rated and most-viewed race for INDYCAR on NBCSN since the network first aired Verizon IndyCar Series races in 2009. The audience for the Go Pro Grand Prix of Sonoma averaged 841,000 viewers and peaked at more than one million viewers.

INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 2, 2015) – Bolstered by the most-watched Verizon IndyCar Series race ever on NBCSN for the season-ending GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma, INDYCAR telecasts on ABC and NBCSN posted an overall viewership increase of 16 percent in 2015 that included a 34 percent jump in NBCSN viewership.

The Aug. 30 race at Sonoma Raceway, won by Scott Dixon to also secure the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series championship in a thrilling tiebreaker over Juan Pablo Montoya, averaged 841,000 viewers on NBCSN, according to The Nielsen Company. Viewership peaked at more than one million in the final full quarter hour. It was the most-watched cable telecast of a Verizon IndyCar Series race since NBCSN acquired the rights in 2009 and the highest cable viewership since the Richmond race on ESPN in 2008.

For the year, combining NBCSN and ABC telecasts, Verizon IndyCar Series races averaged 1.144 million viewers – an increase of 16 percent over 2014. That follows a 19 percent viewership surge in 2014 over the previous year.

Full-season ratings for all Verizon IndyCar Series telecasts improved 15 percent to a 0.76 average in 2015, following a 20 percent upsurge in 2014. NBCSN ratings improved 36 percent to a 0.34 average this season, on the heels of a 32 percent increase last year.

Over the past two years, INDYCAR has increased average TV ratings and viewership by 36 percent and 38 percent, respectively.

"More fans found a lot to like with the Verizon IndyCar Series in 2015 and the growth in television ratings and viewership reflect that," said Mark Miles, CEO of Hulman & Co., parent of INDYCAR and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "Our TV audiences increased significantly as we approached the championship that went down to the very last lap. As it came down to the wire, motorsports fans were attracted by the thrilling racing and compelling rivalries."

Viewership of NBCSN telecasts averaged 507,000 in 2015, an increase of 34 percent, following a 34 percent rise in 2014. Total viewership on both media partners in 2015 increased from the year before, even with two fewer events.

The Sonoma race broadcast showed a 123 percent increase in viewership from the 2014 race and marked the third consecutive NBCSN telecast seen by more than 600,000 viewers, following the Aug. 2 race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and the Aug. 23 event at Pocono Raceway. In fact, the final six NBCSN race broadcasts of the season each yielded more than 500,000 viewers – a number more than the past six seasons on NBCSN combined – and five of those telecasts saw viewership increases of 66 percent or higher from the year before. The final six races of the season were six of the 10 most-viewed ever on NBCSN. The Mid-Ohio and Sonoma races set a new benchmark and were NBCSN's two highest-viewed telecasts of the series.

Other key 2015 growth indicators include:

NBCSN season-long coverage reached 6.409 million unique viewers, the highest total audience ever on the network for the Verizon IndyCar Series and a 47 percent increase from 2014;
NBCSN viewership among key demographics improved substantially over 2014, with an increase of 32 percent among adults ages 18-49 and a 32 percent rise among adults 25-54;
Viewership of ABC's broadcast of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race increased 8 percent over 2014. Full-season viewership of ABC broadcasts improved 1 percent.