Race Peaked at 6.46 Million Viewers as Josef Newgarden Outdueled Pato O’Ward to Win His Second Straight Indy 500
2024 Version of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” is Most-Streamed INDYCAR Race Ever with 286,000 Viewers
STAMFORD, CONN. – May 27, 2024 – Despite a nearly four-hour weather delay, the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge averaged a preliminary Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 5.344 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, and NBC Sports digital platforms on Sunday, up 8% vs. the 2023 race (4.927 million) and 10% vs. 2022 (4.837 million). Final figures will be available on Wednesday.
Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden won “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” for the second consecutive year, becoming the first driver to win the event back-to-back since Helio Castroneves in 2001-2002. In a thrilling finish, Newgarden passed Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward on the final lap to take the checkered flag. Eighteen different drivers led at least one lap, an event record.
Sunday’s Indy 500 peaked at 6.46 million viewers from 7:30-7:45 p.m. ET as Newgarden outdueled O’Ward. The race is also the most-streamed INDYCAR race ever, with an Average Minute Audience (AMA) of 286,000 viewers across Peacock and NBC Sports digital platforms and is NBC Sports’ most-watched Sunday sports event since the NFL playoffs in January (Tampa Bay-Detroit; Jan. 21).
NBC Sports’ pre-race coverage began at 11 a.m. ET, with the green flag originally scheduled for 12:45 p.m. ET. However, severe weather forced a nearly four-hour delay moving NBC Sports’ race window from 4:45-8:15 p.m. ET. NBC Sports filled the rain-delayed hours with periodic live updates and an encore presentation of the 2023 race, resulting in more than nine hours of broadcast network coverage for the entire day. INDYCAR removed the local blackout in Indianapolis, which delivered an 18.15 household rating and 54 share.
Through six races, the 2024 NTT INDYCAR Series is averaging a TAD of 1.95 million viewers (5 on NBC; 1 on USA Network), up from 1.94 million last year at the same point (all NBC). Total Audience Delivery (TAD) is based upon live-plus-same day fast national figures from Nielsen and digital data from Adobe Analytics.
NBC Sports’ coverage of the NTT INDYCAR Series resumes this weekend with the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on the streets of Detroit. Coverage begins at Noon ET on USA Network and Peacock.
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