The 2026 version of the Indianapolis 500 averaged 6.635 million viewers, down from the 7.050 million that watched one 12 months in the past.
The pre-race buildup this 12 months wasn’t as dramatic because the 12 months prior, with no bumping and the truth that the Penske scandal dominated headlines. That is additionally the primary time since 2023 that NASCAR star Kyle Larson wasn’t making an attempt the Indy-Charlotte ‘Double.’ Katherine Legge turned the sixth driver in historical past to start out each races on the identical day, however she is not full-time in both collection.
Regardless of the dip from 2025, this 12 months’s Indy 500 is now the second-most-watched Indy 500 since 2012, and viewership peaked at 8.349 million round 4:00-4:15pm on the finish of the race.
There was no blackout this 12 months, and Indianapolis, Indiana was the highest market, adopted by Dayton, Ohio, and Louisville, Kentucky.
Regardless of a slight mid-race delay for rain, the occasion went as scheduled for essentially the most half. Felix Rosenqvist gained the one hundred and tenth operating of the Indy 500 for Meyer Shank Racing, charging from third to first in a one-lap shootout. He handed Workforce Penske’s David Malukas within the last seconds of the race, beating Malukas within the closest end ever within the historical past of the Indy 500 — 0.0233s. The earlier document was 0.043, which stood since 1992.
General, that is one of the best begin to an IndyCar season since 2008, when the break up formally ended and IndyCar/Champ Automobile merged. The 2026 season is averaging 2.383 million viewers, which is a ten% bump from final 12 months.
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