The numbers may not be very large, but viewership has increased by nearly a quarter for the IndyCar Series on Versus.
Through five races, Versus is averaging 428,000 viewers for IndyCar races, up 24% from last year (345,000), the network’s first year airing coverage.
To put the numbers in perspective, the 428,000 viewers for IndyCar races on Versus tops the regular season averages of the NHL on Versus (297,000), WNBA on ESPN2 (290,000) and MLS on ESPN2 (251,000).
Viewership has increased among all key male demographics, including a 32% rise among men 18-34. To put that in perspective, NASCAR on FOX suffered a 29% drop in that same demographic this year, a decline FOX Sports chairman David Hill called “the biggest problem facing” the sport.
Of course, NASCAR undoubtedly still trounces IndyCar in that and any other demographic. Still, to have younger viewers tuning into Versus’ coverage at a time when they appear to be tuning out of NASCAR (or, at least the FOX portion of the schedule) is a fairly positive trend for the beleaguered open wheel racing league.
