Indy 500 ratings hit a new all-time low in ABC’s final time carrying the event.
Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 earned a 3.1 rating and 4.9 million viewers on ABC, down 9% in ratings and 10% in viewership from last year (3.4, 5.5M) and down 21% and 18% respectively from 2016 (3.9, 6.0M).
Will Power‘s win ranks as the lowest rated and least-watched Indy 500 on record. The previous lows were set last year.
Since hitting a 4.2 and 6.5 million in 2013, Indy 500 ratings and viewership have declined in three straight years.
Despite the lower numbers, the Indy 500 posted its biggest win over the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 since 2000. It beat the race by 35% in ratings (3.1 to 2.3) and 20% in viewership (4.9M to 4.1M). The NASCAR race faced competition from Game 7 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.
In adults 18-49, the Indy 500 had a mere 0.72 rating — down 23% from last year (0.94) and behind the Coca-Cola 600 later in the night (0.79). Both auto races were outdrawn in the demo by the UEFA Champions League Final on FOX the previous day (0.82). Keep in mind that soccer rating does not include the Spanish-language audience on Fox Deportes.
The Indy 500 ranks third among all auto races this year, behind NASCAR’s first two races in February — the Daytona 500 (5.3, 9.3M) and Atlanta 500 (3.3, 5.6M). At the same point last year, it ranked fifth. Indy’s improved position is primarily the result of NASCAR’s poor start to the season.
[Numbers from Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily 5.30]
