Here is the thing about racing fans: when you give them proper machines and a proper broadcast, they tune in. Fox Sports announced its blistering momentum with the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series season, averaging 1,681,000 viewers per race according to Nielsen Media Research. That is a gorgeous 23 percent increase over last year's full-season average of 1,362,000 across 17 races.
Now, dig into the longer view, because the numbers get even wilder. The ratings climbed 57 percent compared to the 2024 full-season average on NBC, which sat at 1,073,000 for 16 races. That makes this the best viewership since 2008. On top of that, Fox IndyCar secured nine races with at least 1 million viewers, the most since 2008 when there were 10.
Naturally, the big highlights carried serious weight. The 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 pulled in 6,635,000 viewers. Then came the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. with 3,282,000, and the XPEL Grand Prix of Road America at 1,803,000. That Washington race in August was an absolute tentpole event of epic proportion, with the Fox audience peaking at nearly 3.5 million viewers and delivering media coverage from around the world. It stands as the most-watched non-Indianapolis 500 IndyCar Series event since 1995.
The 2026 season started strong with a busier March featuring three consecutive races and four in total. That stretch included a doubleheader with NASCAR in Phoenix featuring the Good Ranchers 250 at 1,247,000 viewers and the debut of the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington at 1,336,000 viewers, teaming up with the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers for a massive Texas-sized event.
Key demographics saw stellar growth too. The coveted P18-49 audience finished up 10 percent against 2025 with 341,000 compared to 310,000, and up 66 percent against 2024's 205,000. Meanwhile, the P25-54 demographic rose 15 percent over last year at 412,000 versus 358,000, and jumped 63 percent against 2024's 253,000.
Digital platforms shared in the feast. "ALL IN: INDYCAR," the real-time documentary series produced by Fox Sports, IndyCar, and Shadow Lion (the creative studio co-founded by Tom Brady), scored more than 6 million views on YouTube in its first season, averaging nearly 500,000 viewers per episode and locking in a second season for 2027. The debut season of "SPEED WITH HARVICK AND BUXTON FUELED BY POET" smashed past 100 million views on Fox Sports social and digital platforms, setting a record as the fastest ever to hit that mark, while eclipsing 200,000 followers.
Even the junior series saw double-digit gains. The Indy NXT by Firestone season averaged 127,000 viewers across 17 races on FS1 and FS2, marking a 14 percent bump over last year's average of 111,000 viewers for 14 races. The top three highest-viewership races for the feeder category were Mid-Ohio 1 with 250,000 viewers on July 4, Barber 1 with 191,000 on March 28, and Arlington with 176,000 on March 15.
