Airing on primetime broadcast television for just the second time, IndyCar opened its delayed season with a four-year high.
Saturday’s IndyCar Series opener from Texas averaged a 0.8 rating and 1.28 million viewers on the NBC broadcast network, per Nielsen fast-nationals — the largest IndyCar audience outside of the Indy 500 since 2016 (Detroit II: 1.40M). The race averaged 1.29 million including streaming.
Scott Dixon’s win also ranks as the most-watched IndyCar season opener since 2016 (St. Petersburg: 1.39M). Texas was originally supposed to be the ninth race of the season.
Compared to last year’s Texas race, ratings increased 242% (from 0.24) and viewership 250% (from 366K). Compared to last year’s St. Petersburg opener, which took place as scheduled in March, ratings jumped 156% (from 0.32) and viewership 159% (from 495K). Keep in mind both of those races aired on NBCSN.
Ratings and viewership were no match for the previous IndyCar race on primetime broadcast television — Texas on ABC in 2013. That telecast averaged a 1.0 rating and 1.40 million.
As one would expect, IndyCar’s return to the track was no match for NASCAR’s return last month, which averaged a 3.7 and 6.32 million viewers on FOX.
Indianapolis led all markets Saturday night with a 4.4 rating, followed by Orlando and Columbus, Ohio (2.1 in each). Salt Lake City was fourth (1.8) and Denver and West Palm Beach rounded out the top five (1.6 in each).
[Nielsen estimates from NBC Sports PR 6.7]
