Joe Skibinski/IMS Photo
IndyCar signs multiyear broadcast deal with FOX
The NTT IndyCar Series is headed to FOX in 2025 as part of a new multiyear broadcast deal.
Every race will be aired on FOX’s primary network, with all 17 of the newly announced dates being featured on the same channel that carries the NFL, NASCAR, and MLB.
Earlier versions of the deal were said to include a blend of FOX and its FOX Sports cable channels for IndyCar’s races. The final deal is a game-changer for the series, which becomes the only major North American racing series to have all its races aired on a network where the largest televisions ratings are produced.
For more than 15 seasons, IndyCar’s races have been split between network and cable. The current season with its outgoing partner is built around 10 races on NBC, six on its USA Network cable outlet, and two on NBC’s Peacock streaming platform as it accommodates a mid-season blackout to air the Olympics.
According to the series, “FOX will also provide coverage of Indy 500 qualifications on both Saturday and Sunday, bringing the total number of broadcast network windows to 19, a new record for the NTT IndyCar Series,” and “Indy 500 Race Day coverage will be extensive for fans across the country, with a five-hour window on FOX set aside.” FOX Deportes will carry coverage in Spanish with a schedule to be announced at a later date.
IndyCar’s practice and qualifying sessions will be placed on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. IndyCar’s Indy NXT series will have its new home on FS1 and FS2.
The use of the FOX Sports App to watch races was mentioned, but the full streaming plan, which is due to launch in the fall, will be available under the new super bundle that brings ESPN, FOX and Warner Bros Discovery together under the Venu Sports banner.
“Adding the iconic Indianapolis 500 and delivering the entire NTT IndyCar Series to the FOX Sports roster fits perfectly within our model of teaming with sports’ largest events and best-in-class brands,” said FOX Sports CEO Eric Shanks. “We’re honored to be the new broadcast home to ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,’ an incredibly special event to everyone at FOX Sports.”
No hosts or driver analysts were named in the announcement, but FOX Sports veteran Adam Alexander has been mentioned as a possible leader in the booth. And with FOX’s annual share of NASCAR coverage reaching its end prior to May’s Indianapolis 500, a considerable pool of racing broadcast veterans could be available to support the rest of the broadcasts in the booth and on pit lane.
