season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg drew 1.4 million viewers on Fox on Sunday, .
The race, , peaked at 1.6 million viewers, per Nielsen Media Analysis. That peak quantity was barely decrease than final 12 months’s race in St. Petersburg, which topped out at greater than 1.8 million viewers.
Commercial
After changing into a community associate final 12 months, , final July. Fox’s buy of a stake in IndyCar has elevated its involvement and promotion of the sequence.
Fox launched 4 preseason commercials with Josef Newgarden, Pato O’Ward, Will Energy and Palou, which aired throughout the NFL playoffs, Daytona 500 and different Fox programming. O’Ward and Palou had been additionally visitors on First Issues First, an FS1 sports activities discuss present, final week forward of the season opener.
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IndyCar opens 2026 season at Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 27: Alex Palou, driver of the #10 Chip Ganassi Racing throughout follow rounds of the NTT INDYCAR Collection Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 27, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photograph by David Jensen/Getty Photographs)
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IndyCar opens 2026 season at Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 27: Alex Palou, driver of the #10 Chip Ganassi Racing throughout follow rounds of the NTT INDYCAR Collection Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 27, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photograph by David Jensen/Getty Photographs)
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IndyCar opens 2026 season at Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 27: Graham Rahal, driver of the #15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing throughout follow rounds of the NTT INDYCAR Collection Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 27, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photograph by David Jensen/Getty Photographs)
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IndyCar opens 2026 season at Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 27: Will Energy, driver of the #26 Andretti International throughout follow rounds of the NTT INDYCAR Collection Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 27, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photograph by David Jensen/Getty Photographs)
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IndyCar opens 2026 season at Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 27: Kyffin Simpson, driver of the #8 Chip Ganassi Racing throughout follow rounds of the NTT INDYCAR Collection Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 27, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photograph by David Jensen/Getty Photographs)
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IndyCar opens 2026 season at Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 27: Romain Grosjean, driver of the #18 Dale Coyne Racing throughout follow rounds of the NTT INDYCAR Collection Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 27, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photograph by David Jensen/Getty Photographs)
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IndyCar opens 2026 season at Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 27: Scott McLaughlin, driver of the #3 Group Penske throughout follow rounds of the NTT INDYCAR Collection Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 27, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photograph by David Jensen/Getty Photographs)
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IndyCar opens 2026 season at Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 27: Romain Grosjean, driver of the #18 Dale Coyne Racing throughout follow rounds of the NTT INDYCAR Collection Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 27, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photograph by David Jensen/Getty Photographs)
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IndyCar opens 2026 season at Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 27: Alexander Rossi, driver of the #20 Ed Carpenter Racing throughout follow rounds of the NTT INDYCAR Collection Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 27, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photograph by David Jensen/Getty Photographs)
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IndyCar opens 2026 season at Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 27: Will Energy, driver of the #26 Andretti International throughout follow rounds of the NTT INDYCAR Collection Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 27, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photograph by David Jensen/Getty Photographs)
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IndyCar opens 2026 season at Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 27: Kyle Kirkwood, driver of the #27 Andretti International throughout follow rounds of the NTT INDYCAR Collection Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 27, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photograph by David Jensen/Getty Photographs)
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IndyCar opens 2026 season at Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 27: Rinus Veekay, driver of the #76 Juncos Hollinger Racing drives throughout follow rounds of the NTT INDYCAR Collection Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 27, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photograph by David Jensen/Getty Photographs)
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IndyCar opens 2026 season at Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 27: Alexander Rossi, driver of the #20 Ed Carpenter Racing throughout follow rounds of the NTT INDYCAR Collection Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 27, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photograph by David Jensen/Getty Photographs)
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IndyCar opens 2026 season at Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 27: Christian Rasmussen, driver of the #21 Ed Carpenter Racing drives throughout follow rounds of the NTT INDYCAR Collection Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 27, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photograph by David Jensen/Getty Photographs)
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IndyCar opens 2026 season at Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 27: Alex Palou, driver of the #10 Chip Ganassi Racing throughout follow rounds of the NTT INDYCAR Collection Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 27, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photograph by David Jensen/Getty Photographs)
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IndyCar opens 2026 season at Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 27: Sting Ray Robb, driver of the #77 Juncos Hollinger Racing throughout follow rounds of the NTT INDYCAR Collection Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 27, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photograph by David Jensen/Getty Photographs)
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IndyCar opens 2026 season at Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 27: Louis Foster, driver of the #45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing throughout follow rounds of the NTT INDYCAR Collection Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 27, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photograph by David Jensen/Getty Photographs)
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IndyCar opens 2026 season at Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 27: Will Energy, driver of the #26 Andretti International throughout follow rounds of the NTT INDYCAR Collection Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 27, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photograph by David Jensen/Getty Photographs)
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IndyCar opens 2026 season at Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 27: Santino Ferrucci, driver of the #14 A.J. Foyt Enterprises throughout follow rounds of the NTT INDYCAR Collection Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 27, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photograph by David Jensen/Getty Photographs)
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IndyCar opens 2026 season at Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 27: Santino Ferrucci, driver of the #14 A.J. Foyt Enterprises drives throughout follow rounds of the NTT INDYCAR Collection Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 27, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photograph by David Jensen/Getty Photographs)
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IndyCar opens 2026 season at Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 27: Alexander Rossi, driver of the #20 Ed Carpenter Racing throughout follow rounds of the NTT INDYCAR Collection Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 27, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photograph by David Jensen/Getty Photographs)
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IndyCar opens 2026 season at Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 27: Graham Rahal, driver of the #15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing throughout follow rounds of the NTT INDYCAR Collection Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 27, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photograph by David Jensen/Getty Photographs)
Final 12 months’s 17-race schedule on Fox averaged 1.362 million viewers on Fox, making the viewership from St. Petersburg a tad larger. Fox, in contrast to NBC — which was IndyCar’s sole rightsholder from 2018 to 2024 — airs all IndyCar races on its community channel.
As a substitute of happening its typical weeks-long break following the season opener, IndyCar follows St. Petersburg with two races, the Good Ranchers 250 in Avondale, Arizona, on Saturday, and the Grand Prix of Arlington in Arlington, Texas, on March 15.
Commercial
The Good Ranchers 250 shall be IndyCar’s return to Phoenix Raceway for the primary time since 2018, and the Grand Prix of Arlington, a road race that can weave by means of the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium and the Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Subject, is a brand new race added to the schedule. Each races don’t have any prior broadcast historical past on Fox, making their TV scores intriguing to look at.
How followers react to IndyCar’s three new races (Arlington, Markham, Ontario and Washington, D.C.) and jampacked March schedule will present simply how impactful Fox’s promotion of the sequence is that this 12 months. For now, we all know the same variety of followers had been able to see the season start in St. Petersburg but once more.
