Moved from its traditional Memorial Day slot to the middle of August, the Indy 500 posted its lowest ratings ever.
Sunday’s IndyCar Series Indianapolis 500 averaged a 2.3 rating and 3.67 million viewers on NBC, easily the lowest rating and viewership in the history of the race. The previous lows were a 3.1 and 4.91 million two years ago on ABC.
Takuma Sato’s win, which peaked with 4.64 million viewers from 5:30-5:45 PM ET, declined 32% in ratings and viewership from last year (3.4, 5.44M). Including the streaming audience of nearly 18,000 viewers, the race averaged 3.74 million.
The numbers would have been even lower had Indianapolis Motor Speedway not lifted its usual local blackout. The race aired live in Indianapolis for just the second time since 1950, averaging a whopping 24.9 rating — more than double last year’s 11.0 for a tape-delayed airing. The last live broadcast in the market (2016) averaged a 33.6.
Las Vegas and Ohio markets Cincinnati and Columbus ranked a distant second at a 4.1, compared to a 9.8 rating for last year’s #2 market (Dayton, Ohio).
The Indy 500 typically takes place on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. Its move to the middle of August — typically a dead spot on the sporting calendar — resulted in more competition than usual in a year marked by disruption. The 500 aired opposite NBA playoff games for the first time since 1998 and overlapped with NASCAR for more than an hour. It also faced the PGA Tour and UEFA Champions League final, though that is not unusual.
Even with the record-low numbers, the Indy 500 was Sunday’s highest rated and most-watched sportscast, though it trailed NBA and NHL playoff games among young adults. It ranked second for the weekend behind a Lakers-Blazers NBA playoff game on ABC Saturday night (2.3, 3.83M).
It also ranks as the most-watched auto race in the month of August since NASCAR at Bristol three years ago (3.84M). It does not rank as the year’s top event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, trailing NASCAR’s Brickyard 400 last month (2.7, 4.34M).
Indy 500 ratings history
[Nielsen estimates from NBC Sports, ShowBuzz Daily 8.25]
