Fueled by a NASCAR celebrity, record-setting speeds, and a battle between a youngster and a veteran of the game for the ultimate spot within the race, NBC’s protection of the second day of Indianapolis 500 qualifying recieved a TAD (Whole Viewers Supply) of 1.22 million viewers throughout the linear broadcast and its streaming service, Peacock. That quantity is a 38% enhance from the identical occasion final 12 months, which clocked a TAD of 842,000 viewers.
Sunday’s broadcast goes down because the most-watched Indy 500 qualifying broadcast since NBC gained unique IndyCar rights in 2019. The quantity comes throughout negotiations for a brand new IndyCar broadcast deal, as NBC’s most up-to-date contract with the collection expires on the conclusion of the present season.
Sports activities Enterprise Journal’s Adam Stern reported final week that the combat for IndyCar broadcast rights has come all the way down to the incumbent NBC and FOX, who at present shares NASCAR Cup Sequence media rights with NBC and not too long ago agreed to proceed that share together with Amazon Prime Video and TNT for the following seven seasons. In an interview with Inside Indiana Enterprise earlier this week, IndyCar CEO Mark Miles stated “We’re getting shut. We’ve been working at it for months… I feel we’re going to know which means we’re going to go within the subsequent couple of weeks.“
With that, the collection’ eyes could also be on the viewership numbers for Sunday’s Indy 500 broadcast, one which has suffered over the previous two years. 2021’s race pulled in over 5.5 million viewers, NBC’s highest, earlier than taking a big downturn to 4.8 million in 2022 and 4.9 million in 2023. In keeping with Miles, there has additionally been discussions of lifting the controversial TV blackout of the race in Central Indiana with grandstand seats practically promoting out for the race.
“We’ll comprehend it once we see it,” stated Miles. “We simply maintain promoting [tickets] and we’ll see the place we find yourself.“
NBC’s protection of The 108th Operating of the Indianapolis 500 begins at 11:00 am on Sunday. Viewers outdoors of Central Indiana may also watch the race on Peacock.
