Indy 500 overnight ratings hit a new low.
The IndyCar Series Indianapolis 500 earned a 3.6 overnight rating on ABC Sunday afternoon, down 12% from last year (4.1), down 16% from 2015 (4.3), and the lowest mark for the event since live start-to-finish coverage began in 1986. The previous low was a 3.8 in 2013.
Takuma Sato‘s win, which peaked at a 4.2 from 3:30-4 PM ET, was the fourth Indy 500 of the past nine to hit a record-low in the metered markets (2009, 2010, 2013 and 2017).
Not helping matters, the race was again tape-delayed in host market Indianapolis, a return to outdated form after last year’s race aired live. The telecast had a 14.7 rating there, up 14% from the last tape-delayed broadcast in 2015 (12.9), but down 56% from last year’s 33.6 for live coverage.
Despite the lower numbers, the Indy 500 topped the night’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte by 29% (3.6 to 2.8), its largest metered-market lead over its stock car rival since 2005.
[Wknd. numbers via SBJ’s Adam Stern/Twitter 5.29, USA Today 5.29]
