IndyCar viewership grows during second season with Fox Sports
3 sources • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 11, 2026, 5:18 PM
Last updated Sep 11, 2026
IndyCar averaged 1.681 million viewers per race during its 2026 campaign, marking a 23% increase over the previous season. The series concluded its schedule with the Grand Prix of Monterey, where Scott McLaughlin claimed victory in front of 895,000 viewers on Fox. This final race viewership represented a 22% increase compared to the previous year's event at Laguna Seca but fell 28% short of the 2025 finale at Nashville Superspeedway. Fox, which owns a one-third stake in Penske Entertainment, broadcast every race on its network channel throughout the year. Nine of the 18 scheduled races reached audiences exceeding 1 million viewers, the highest total for the series since 2008. The Indianapolis 500 led all events with 6.635 million viewers, while the Milwaukee Mile race recorded the lowest viewership of the season.
- •IndyCar viewership rose 23% on average compared to 2025.
- •Fox averaged 1.681 million viewers per race across the 18-race schedule.
- •Scott McLaughlin won the Grand Prix of Monterey in the final race of the season.
- •Nine races drew more than 1 million viewers in 2026.
- •The Indianapolis 500 served as the most-watched event with 6.635 million viewers.
- 5:18 PMRacer — More than just big numbers: How Year 2 for FOX IndyCar TV coverage was a standout
- 4:47 PMYahoo Sports — IndyCar finishes season with less than 1 million viewers but Fox gets uptick in 2026
"The second season of FOX’s exclusive coverage of the NTT IndyCar Series generated a significant boost in its per-race average audience and important viewer demographics.
"IndyCar viewership rose 23% on average in 2026 as the series completed its second season with Fox Sports. Fox owns one-third of the series.
Sources
External links- RacerSep 11, 2026, 5:18 PMMore than just big numbers: How Year 2 for FOX IndyCar TV coverage was a standout
The second season of FOX’s exclusive coverage of the NTT IndyCar Series generated a significant boost in its per-race average audience and important viewer demographics.
- Yahoo SportsSep 11, 2026, 4:47 PMIndyCar finishes season with less than 1 million viewers but Fox gets uptick in 2026
IndyCar viewership rose 23% on average in 2026 as the series completed its second season with Fox Sports. Fox owns one-third of the series.
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