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Fox aired the Indianapolis 500 for the first time—and delivered a historic audience.
The 2025 Indy 500 drew 7.05 million viewers on Fox, according to Nielsen fast nationals, the network announced Monday. It’s the most-watched Indy 500 since 2008, which drew 7.2 million viewers, and was up 40% from the 5 million who watched the race last year on NBC.
According to Sports Media Watch, it was the most-watched motorsports event in the U.S. since the 2023 Daytona 500. It topped the last two Daytona 500 races, which were both also carried by Fox.
Last year, IndyCar agreed to a multiyear deal with Fox, leaving NBC for the first time in 16 years. The length of the deal is unclear, but reports have indicated it is worth $25 million annually, $5 million more than NBC’s contract.
Sunday’s record numbers come despite a delay in the start time of the race. The original 12:45 p.m. ET start was pushed back about 45 minutes due to light rain. Last year’s race was delayed nearly four hours due to rain.
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Álex Palou, who has won three of the last four IndyCar championships, won the iconic race for the first time in his career. The win solidified his dominant start to the season, which now includes wins in five of the first six races. He holds a 115-point lead in the standings.
