IndyCar Mid-Ohio TV Rating proves AR1’s point

For 13 years AR1.com pounded the table for IndyCar to have all its races on network TV (not cable NBCSN) – saying that we would see at least an average of 1 million viewers per race.  Well, it is happening as almost all IndyCars this year have been on NBC, not NBCSN…..proving our point exactly.

To be clear, the three NBCSN races have only averaged 521,000 viewers, far below the 1,115,600 average on NBC (excluding the Indy 500) and 1,753,570 average on NBC if you include the Indy 500.

IndyCar’s new TV contract must put all the races on NBC.

Last weekend’s Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio on July 4 on NBC averaged 1.303 million viewers, marking NBC’s 2nd most-watched INDYCAR race ever (behind the 2nd Detroit race this year which drew 1,383,000 viewers), excluding the Indianapolis 500, and the most-watched Mid-Ohio race since 2008

Mid-Ohio supplanted the season-opening race on the Streets of St. Petersburg, which averaged 1.225 million viewers to rank as the most-watched afternoon race on NBC to that point, and was the most-watched Grand Prix of St. Petersburg since 2016.

NBC Sports is off to its most-watched NTT INDYCAR Series season ever in 2021 – delivering its most-watched races ever on NBC and numerous viewership milestones on NBCSN.

Through nine races (6 NBC, 3 NBCSN), the 2021 NTT INDYCAR Series has produced a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 1.582 million viewers, marking NBC Sports’ most-watched start to an INDYCAR season ever, and up 30% vs. last year’s comparable coverage (1.213 million).

Following are the Top 10 markets for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES on NBC and NBCSN through nine races in 2021:

NBC Sports PR