Big changes in the racing world as Indy 500 switches to a new TV channel, while NASCAR‘s Coca-Cola 600 moves away from Fox. This move is a game-changer in media rights for racing events.
Fox Sports recently announced that they’ve secured the rights to broadcast IndyCar races starting in 2025. This means Fox now has two of the biggest races in the world under its belt – the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s Daytona 500.
IndyCar CEO Mark Miles calls this a huge opportunity for the sport, highlighting Fox’s commitment to delivering engaging coverage to fans across various platforms.
IndyCar’s TV presence has been on the rise over the years, with the number of races increasing significantly. In fact, NBC‘s current agreement sees them broadcasting thirteen races per year, up from just five previously.
The recent Indy 500 saw Josef Newgarden come out on top, attracting a peak viewership of 6.46 million, making it the most-streamed IndyCar race ever. This made it the most-watched Sunday sporting event since a playoff game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Detroit Lions earlier in the year.
Despite its success on NBC, IndyCar is set to make a move to a new network in 2019, marking the end of its partnership with ABC/NBC.
While the specifics of the deal between Fox and IndyCar are still unclear, it is known that NBC’s partnership with IndyCar will come to an end after the current season concludes in mid-September.
IndyCar has had a long-standing relationship with NBC since 2009 in various capacities. The latest contract extension with NBC was reportedly worth $20 million per season.
Meanwhile, Fox’s decision to no longer broadcast the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 over Memorial Day weekend is a result of NASCAR restructuring its media rights agreements. Fox had been airing the Coca-Cola 600 since 2001.