IndyCar’s First Season On FOX Ends On High Point With Ratings Increase

FOX Sports IndyCar lead announcer Will Buxton

INDYCAR Photo

When IndyCar began its first season with FOX as the new network for the racing series, it was optimistic the two could grow the viewership.

As it concludes its first season together, IndyCar ended up with an ownership partner, willing to invest and build the series for continued growth in the future.

According to FOX Sports, its inaugural season of NTT IndyCar Series action provided the largest viewership growth of any sport.

FOX drew major audience spikes with younger demographics, which is a key to continued growth.

The highlight of the season was the 109^th Running of the Indianapolis 500, which had the largest viewership in 17 years at 17,088,000 viewers.

“We have had a fantastic year with our Fox as our new broadcast partners,” Indy President Doug Boles told me. “We felt confident entering the year that together we would grow the NTT IndyCar Series viewership and are very pleased with the end result. We had impressive growth numbers with St Pete, the Indy 500, and Nashville and good numbers throughout the year. The production quality, investment in new camera angles and technology, and on-track personalities and competition all help drive the increases. And, our IndyCar fans tuned in and supported us.

“We are looking forward to continued growth in 2026.”

Behind the Numbers

FOX Sports coverage of the 17-race 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season scored averaged 1,362,000 viewers according to Nielsen Media Research, a +27 percent year-to-year increase from 2024 and the most-watched season in 17 years. In 2025, the NTT IndyCar Series has recorded the most audience growth to date of any sport averaging at least a million viewers.

The August 31 season finale from Nashville delivered 1,142,000 viewers, up +136 percent from last year’s event and the most-watched Nashville race since 2021.

“In a season loaded with both massive successes and key learnings, we couldn’t be more excited about the potential we see in the FOX IndyCar relationship as we close out the 2025 season together,” said Eric Shanks, FOX Sports CEO and Executive Producer. “Expanding on our connection with IndyCar for next year and beyond, projects already are well underway to keep this momentum going at full speed.”

Key 2025 FOX INDYCAR season highlights

FOX/FS1 NTT INDYCAR SERIES averaged 1,362,000 this season, a +27 percent increase from 2024 and the most since the 2008 post-merger season.

Most 2025 audience growth (+27 percent) for any sport averaging at least a million viewers.

Massive lift in coveted P18-34 (+81 percent) and P18-49 (+51 percent) demographics; the season also saw huge increases with women viewers – F18-34 (+72 percent) and F18-49 (+30 percent).

The 109^th Running of the Indianapolis 500 delivered in grand fashion, bringing in 7,088,000 viewers, a +41 percent increase over 2024 (5,024,000), making it the most-watched Indy 500 in 17 years.

Season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg delivered 1,418,000 viewers, a 14-year high and a +45 percent increase over the previous year.

Season finale from Nashville netted 1,142,000 viewers, a +136 percent increase from 2024.

“In partnership with FOX Sports, our viewership growth curve is the most impressive in all of sports,” said Mark Miles, President & CEO of Penske Entertainment. “We’re incredibly pleased with the first year of this relationship and know we can kick things into an even higher gear moving forward.

“We’re proud of the strong growth in our live race television audiences throughout the 2025 Championship. The first year of our broadcast partnership has been an important success providing our sport with our most watched season in 17 years.

“This was a fitting way to end a remarkable season featuring industry leading growth. Our partnership with Fox Sports continues to deliver incredible results.”

About FOX Sports

FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing Fox Corporation’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, the business has ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing relationships.

FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Network; FS1, FS2, FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Deportes. FOX Sports’ digital properties include FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App, which provides live streaming video of FOX Sports content, instant scores, stats and alerts to iOS and Android devices. Also included in FOX Sports’ portfolio are FOX’s interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network and the UFL and a licensing agreement that established the FOX Sports Radio Network.