The 2015 IndyCar season the most-watched on cable in seven years.
NBCSN averaged a 0.3 final rating and 507,000 viewers for 11 IndyCar telecasts this season, up 36% in ratings and 34% in viewership from last year (0.25, 378K) and the network’s most-watched IndyCar season since it began airing coverage in 2009. The previous high was 402,000 in 2011. Overall, this season ranks as the most-watched on cable since ESPN and ESPN2 averaged 778,000 in 2008.
Six of the 11 most-watched IndyCar races on NBCSN took place this season, with Sunday’s finale from Sonoma topping the charts (0.5, 841K). Excluding the inaugural New Orleans race, seven of the 10 races that can be compared to last season had an increase in viewership.
NBCSN was not alone in scoring a year-over-year increase this season. ABC averaged a 1.5 rating and 2.4 million viewers for its five races, including the Indy 500 — flat and up 3%, respectively, from last year.
(Season avg. from NBC Sports Group Press Box, NBC Sports, ESPN)
