Indianapolis 500 numbers game.

Ratings for the Indianapolis 500 since 1973. Ratings for races run from ’73-’91 include pre-race coverage; ratings for races from ’92-’08 are for race coverage only. Also included are ratings for the Coca Cola 600 from ’99 to ’08.

The Indy 500 last drew a double-digit rating in 1992. Since ’92, ratings for the race have declined by 58% — from a 10.9 in ’92 to a 4.6 in ’08. In the past ten years, the Indy 500 has drawn a rating of 6.0 or higher only once: 2005, when hype surrounding Danica Patrick helped the race draw a 6.5 rating.

Since 2001, when the Coca Cola 600 aired on FOX for the first time, the Indianapolis 500 has been outdrawn by the Coca Cola 600 every year but two: 2001 and 2005. Both the Indianapolis 500 and Coca Cola 600 have seen a precipitous drop in ratings since ’05; ratings for the Indy 500 have declined 29% since ’05, and ratings for the Coke 600 have dropped 23%.

Ratings for the Indianapolis 500 since 1973.
Ratings for races from ’73-’91 include pre-race coverage
Asterisk (*) indicates race was delayed from Sunday due to rain.
Source: Sports Business Daily

Year	Date	Winner	Net	Rating
2008	Sun., 5/25/08	Dixon	ABC	4.6/13
2007	Sun., 5/27/07	Franchitti	ABC	4.3/12
2006	Sun., 5/28/06	Hornish, Jr.	ABC	5.0/14
2005	Sun., 5/29/05	Wheldon	ABC	6.5/18
2004	Sun., 5/30/04	Rice	ABC	4.1/11
2003	Sun., 5/25/03	de Ferran	ABC	4.6/14
2002	Sun., 5/26/02	Castroneves	ABC	4.8/15
2001	Sun., 5/27/01	Castroneves	ABC	5.8/17
2000	Sun., 5/28/00	Montoya	ABC	5.5/15
1999	Sun., 5/30/99	Br?ck	ABC	5.5/18
1998	Sun., 5/24/98	Cheever, Jr.	ABC	6.0/19
1997*	Tue., 5/27/97	Luyendyk	ABC	5.0/18
1996	Sun., 5/26/96	Lazier	ABC	7.1/23
1995	Sun., 5/28/95	Villeneuve	ABC	9.4/28
1994	Sun., 5/29/94	Unser, Jr.	ABC	9.1/31
1993	Sun., 5/30/93	Fittipaldi	ABC	9.3/30
1992	Sun., 5/24/92	Unser, Jr.	ABC	10.9/33
Includes pre-race coverage
1991	Sun., 5/26/91	Mears	ABC	8.0/27
1990	Sun., 5/27/90	Luyendyk	ABC	7.4/26
1989	Sun., 5/28/89	Fittipaldi	ABC	7.8/28
1988	Sun., 5/29/88	Mears	ABC	8.5/29
1987	Sun., 5/24/87	Unser	ABC	11.1/36
1986*	Sat., 5/31/86	Rahal	ABC	8.8/31
1985	Sun., 5/26/85	Sullivan	ABC	9.7/18
1984	Sun., 5/27/84	Mears	ABC	12.9/25
1983	Sun., 5/29/83	Sneva	ABC	14.1/27
1982	Sun., 5/30/82	Johncock	ABC	12.3/25
1981	Sun., 5/24/81	Unser	ABC	12.8/24
1980	Sun., 5/25/80	Rutherford	ABC	13.8/27
1979	Sun., 5/27/79	Mears	ABC	13.5/24
1978	Sun., 5/28/78	Unser	ABC	13.4/26
1977	Sun., 5/29/77	Foyt	ABC	15.6/32
1976	Sun., 5/30/76	Rutherford	ABC	17.9/34
1975	Sun., 5/25/75	Unser	ABC	14.9/30
1974	Sun., 5/26/74	Rutherford	ABC	16.4/31
1973*	Wed., 5/30/73	Johncock	ABC	16.5/30

Ratings for the Indianapolis 500 and Coca Cola 600 since ’99.
Coca Cola 600 aired on TBS in ’99 and ’00, FOX from ’01 to ’08

Year	Date	Indy 500	Coke 600	Winner
2008	Sun., 5/25/08	4.6/13	4.7/10	Coke (+2%)
2007	Sun., 5/27/07	4.3/12	4.5/10	Coke (+5%)
2006	Sun., 5/28/06	5.0/14	5.1/11	Coke (+2%)
2005	Sun., 5/29/05	6.5/18	6.1/13	Indy (+7%)
2004	Sun., 5/30/04	4.1/11	5.0/11	Coke (+22%)
2003	Sun., 5/25/03	4.6/14	4.7/11	Coke (+2%)
2002	Sun., 5/26/02	4.8/15	5.1/11	Coke (+6%)
2001	Sun., 5/27/01	5.8/17	5.3/11	Indy (+9%)
2000	Sun., 5/28/00	5.5/15	3.4 (4.3)	Indy (+62%)
1999	Sun., 5/30/99	5.5/18	3.8 (4.9)	Indy (+45%)