2025 Indy 500 Hits Record Viewership With 7 Million Fans

INDIANAPOLIS – For just the third time in the last three decades, Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 is the most watched motorsports event on American television. Roughly, 7.01 million viewers tuned into the FOX broadcast with a peak of 8.5 million for the climactic ending from 4:15 to 4:30 p.m. EST.

By comparison, 6.4 million viewers watched February’s Daytona 500, also on FOX.

The only other times the Indy 500 received a higher rating than the Daytona 500 was in 1995 and 2021.

It was also the most-watched Indianapolis 500 in 17 years (7,245,000 viewers in 2008).

This is the first year all IndyCar Series races were broadcast on FOX. The network has aggressively promoted the NTT IndyCar Series and interest level in this form of racing appears to be on the rise.

350,000 Spectators Attended The Indy 500

It was also the first time since the 100^th Indianapolis 500 in 2016 that all grandstand seats were sold out. Indianapolis Motor Speedway President and IndyCar Series President Doug Boles announced the attendance at 350,000 spectators during Monday night’s Indianapolis 500 Victory Celebration at the JW Marriott Hotel in downtown Indianapolis.

The Indianapolis 500 purse record was broken for the fourth year in a row for the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, with first-time winner Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing earning $3.8 million from a total purse of $20,283,000.

This is the largest purse in the century-plus history of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on the heels of four consecutive record-breaking years. This year’s average payout for NTT IndyCar Series drivers was $596,500, which also exceeds last year’s average of $543,000.

In 2024, the Indianapolis 500 purse was $18,456,000, and the year’s winner payout was $4.3 million, which included a $440,000 roll-over bonus from BorgWarner for earning back-to-back wins. In 2023, the Indianapolis 500 purse was $17,021,500, and the winner earned $3.7 million. In 2022, the Indianapolis 500 purse was $16,000,200, and the winner earned $3.1 million. Prior to 2022, the largest Indianapolis 500 purse was $14.4 million for the 2008 Indianapolis 500.

“The Indianapolis 500 is the greatest race in the world, and winning this race makes history in more ways than one,” Boles said. “The Month of May featured a grandstand sellout crowd and intense on-track action. Alex Palou adds Indianapolis 500 winner to his long list of growing achievements and takes home the largest purse in Indianapolis 500 history. There’s no better way to end an epic month.”

Pole-winner Robert Shwartzman of Prema Racing earned Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year honors for his performance during the Month of May. Shwartzman earned a $50,000 bonus for being named Rookie of the Year, adding to a total take-home prize of $327,300.

The Indianapolis 500 purse consists of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and NTT IndyCar Series awards, plus other designated and special awards. Purse awards are presented annually at the Victory Celebration, held this year at the JW Marriott in downtown Indianapolis Monday night.