IndyCar: Indy 500 TV sees ratings increase (2nd Update)
Across NBC Sports streaming platforms, this year’s race ranks as the second most-streamed IndyCar race ever with an Average Minute Audience (AMA) of 34,500 viewers, behind only the 2019 Indy 500 (45,600). The race was the most-watched sports event of the weekend across all networks.
Through the first six races of the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES on NBC, NBCSN, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app are averaging a TAD of 1.926 million viewers, the best six-race start to a season in four years (2.046 million; 4 ABC, 2 NBCSN) and up 28% vs. last season’s comparable races (1.504 million viewers).
TOP 10 Markets for 2021 Indy 500 on NBC (HH Rating):
1 Indianapolis 21.3
2 Dayton 8.1
2 Cincinnati 8.1
4 Ft. Myers-Naples 6.3
4 Louisville 6.3
6 Knoxville 6.0
7 Nashville 5.4
7 Columbus, Ohio 5.4
9 Hartford-New Haven 5.1
10 Greenville-Spartanburg 5.0
The race peaked at 7.129 million viewers when Helio Castroneves took the checkered flag to win his fourth Indy 500.
June 3, 2021
The Indianapolis TV market drew a 21.3 local rating for the Indy 500 on NBC. Only the 3rd time since 1950 that it has aired live locally. In 2016, for 100th running of the race on ABC (first time since 1950 it aired live in Indy), the market averaged a 33.6 local rating.
The Indy 500 out-rated the Daytona 500 for the first time since 1995 – the last year CART was controlling IndyCar Racing, and the sport was booming. Then Tony George, convinced he had a better idea, created the IRL and nearly destroyed the sport.
It has taken 26 years to recover, and it is still not anywhere near where CART had brought the sport. This chart underscores George’s destruction.
Historical Indy 500 TV Ratings since 1979
| Year | TV Rating | Share | Net | League | Comment |
| 1979 | 13.5 | 24 Share | ABC | CART | CART’s 1st Year |
| 1980 | 13.8 | 27 Share | ABC | CART | IndyCar’s Golden Years |
| 1981 | 12.8 | 24 Share | ABC | CART | IndyCar’s Golden Years |
| 1982 | 12.3 | 25 Share | ABC | CART | IndyCar’s Golden Years |
| 1983 | 14.1 | 27 Share | ABC | CART | IndyCar’s Golden Years |
| 1984 | 12.9 | 25 Share | ABC | CART | IndyCar’s Golden Years |
| 1985 | 9.7 | 18 Share | ABC | CART | IndyCar’s Golden Years |
| 1986 | 8.8 | 31 Share | ABC | CART | IndyCar’s Golden Years |
| 1987 | 11.1 | 36 Share | ABC | CART | IndyCar’s Golden Years |
| 1988 | 8.5 | 29 Share | ABC | CART | IndyCar’s Golden Years |
| 1989 | 7.8 | 28 Share | ABC | CART | IndyCar’s Golden Years |
| 1990 | 7.4 | 26 Share | ABC | CART | IndyCar’s Golden Years |
| 1991 | 8.0 | 27 Share | ABC | CART | IndyCar’s Golden Years |
| 1992 | 9.8 | 31 Share | ABC | CART | IndyCar’s Golden Years |
| 1993 | 9.3 | 31 Share | ABC | CART | IndyCar’s Golden Years |
| 1994 | 9.1 | 31 Share | ABC | CART | IndyCar’s Golden Years |
| 1995 | 9.4 | 26 Share | ABC | CART | IndyCar’s Golden Years |
| 1996 | 6.6 | 19 Share | ABC | IRL | T. George destruction begins |
| 1997 | 5.1 | 14 Share | ABC | IRL | Rating falls below 6.0 |
| 1998 | 6.0 | 19 Share | ABC | IRL | T. George damage continues |
| 1999 | 5.5 | 18 Share | ABC | IRL | T. George damage continues |
| 2000 | 5.5 | 15 Share | ABC | IRL | T. George damage continues |
| 2001 | 5.8 | 17 Share | ABC | IRL | T. George damage continues |
| 2002 | 4.8 | 15 Share | ABC | IRL | Rating falls below 5.0 |
| 2003 | 4.6 | 14 Share | ABC | IRL | T. George damage continues |
| 2004 | 4.7 | 11 Share | ABC | IRL | T. George damage continues |
| 2005 | 6.5 | 18 Share | ABC | IRL | Some CART Teams Participate |
| 2006 | 5.0 | 14 Share | ABC | IRL | T. George damage continues |
| 2007 | 4.3 | 12 Share | ABC | IRL | CART/IRL Merger deal done |
| 2008 | 4.5 | ?? Share | ABC | IRL | A small bump up after merger |
| 2009 | 4.0 | 11 Share | ABC | IRL | Merger can’t overcome T. George damage |
| No. of Viewers | |||||
| 2010 | 3.6 | 10 Share 5.79M | ABC | IRL | Rating falls below 4.0, <10% of Households |
| 2011 | 4.0 | 6.71M | ABC | IndyCar | T. George damage continues |
| 2012 | 4.34 | 6.86M | ABC | IndyCar | T. George damage continues |
| 2013 | 3.7 | 5.74M | ABC | IndyCar | Viewership falls below 6.0M |
| 2014 | 3.8 | 5.94M | ABC | IndyCar | T. George damage continues |
| 2015 | 4.1 | 6.4M | ABC | IndyCar | T. George damage continues |
| 2016 | 3.8 | 5.86M | ABC | IndyCar | T. George damage continues |
| 2017 | 3.41 | 5.457M | ABC | IndyCar | T. George damage continues |
| 2018 | 3.08 | 4.91M | ABC | IndyCar | T. George damage continues |
| 2019 | 3.41 | 5.414M + 32K Streaming | NBC | IndyCar | First Year for NBC, equals ABC in 2017 |
| 2020 | 2.3 | 3.737M | NBC | IndyCar | Down 32.3% due to Covid |
| 2021 | 3.43 | 5.581M | NBC | IndyCar | Roger Penske’ reign begins in earnest, and Indy 500 beats the Daytona 500 TV rating for the first time since the CART years – 1995 and prior |
Share = % USA Households Watching TV that are watching race
June 2, 2021
With the race moved back to its traditional spot on the calendar (Memorial Day Sunday) and with no blackout in the Indianapolis area, NBC earned 5.581 million viewers for Sunday’s Indy 500, up 52% from last year’s postponed August race (3.67 million) and up 2.5% from 2019 (5.44 million), the last time it was run on Memorial Day Sunday.
However, the rating was 7.5% lower than the 6.0 million viewers ABC got for the 100th running in 2016.