The television rights to broadcast the IndyCar Series in the United States have varied between different broadcasters since the series' founding as the Indy Racing League (IRL) in 1995 as a competitor to the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART).
Race broadcasters
Current
Fox: 1999, 2025–present FS1: 2025–present (practice/qualifying only) FS2: 2025–present (practice/qualifying only)
Former
ABC: 1996–2014 CBS: 1997–1998 NBC: 2018–2024 ESPN: 2000–2008 ESPN2: 1997, 2008 ESPN Classic: USA: 2020, 2022–2024 Versus/NBCSN: 2009–2021 CNBC: 2015–2016, 2018 TNN: 1998 Fox Sports Net: 1999 Peacock: 2022–2024
History
1996–1999: A variety of partners
For the inaugural season of the IRL championship, which consisted of only three races, all events were telecast by ABC Sports. For the series' second season, spanning 1996 and 1997, a single race―TBA―was picked up for broadcast by CBS Sports.
On March 27, 1997, a new television contract was announced for the 1998 season. ABC retained the rights to broadcast four events, including the Indianapolis 500, with ancillary programming surrounding the marquee race airing on ESPN. CBS also returned as a broadcaster for three other events. A new addition for the season was CBS' cable partner The Nashville Network (TNN; now Paramount Network), which would broadcast three races. This new arrangement would last only a single season, with IRL announcing a new agreement for 1999.
For the following season, IRL announced another new contract. The sanctioning body revealed on December 23, 1998, that it had struck a deal with Fox Sports to become a major television partner. For the 1999 season, Fox broadcast nine out of eleven events, with a majority of races on the regional sports network system Fox Sports Net. ABC Sports retained rights to air just two races–the Indianapolis 500 and the race at Walt Disney World Speedway. A television contract for qualifying at the series races, excluding the 500, was carved out for Speedvision, which also aired the ill-fated Charlotte race.
2000–2008: Settling with ABC/ESPN
With the first four years of IRL marked by changing television partners, the series made the decision to settle down with a primary partner. Beginning with the 2000 season, the league signed a multi-year deal with ABC and ESPN. The contract, worth $13 million annually over five years, covered ten races, split between the broadcast and cable network. The relationship between IRL and ABC/ESPN was deepened in 2001, when the two sides agreed to extend their deal through the 2007 season. A key aspect to this extension was an exclusive sporting relationship between the two, locking CART out of a broadcasting relationship with ABC/ESPN.
2009–2014: A split contract
In August 2008, a now-unified IndyCar Series announced two separate television deals worth $10.9 million annually for the 2009 season. ABC renewed with a deal significantly smaller than its previous arrangement. The broadcast network would only air five races per season, including the 500, under a $4.2 million per year, three-year deal. Meanwhile, burgeoning cable sports network Versus signed a ten-year deal to cover thirteen races annually from the series through the 2018 season. ABC later renewed their deal to broadcast the 500 plus four other races through 2019, coinciding with the end of the Versus contract. In 2011, Comcast, owner of Versus, purchased a majority stake in NBCUniversal, completing a full acquisition in 2013. As a result, in 2012, Versus was folded into NBC Sports and rebranded as NBC Sports Network (NBCSN).
2015–2024: Exclusivity with NBC
As ABC/ESPN and NBCSN's respective deals neared expiring after the 2018 season, both networks were considered front runners for deals to exclusively televise the series from 2019 onward. According to sources, each network offered the series a significant jump in races on over-the-air television, with ABC offering ten races annually and NBC eight. On March 21, 2018, IndyCar and NBC Sports announced a three-year deal to become the exclusive rightsholder to races through the 2021 season. As per reports, at least eight races were slated to air on NBC, with the others remaining on NBCSN. Practice and qualifying sessions became part of a seasonal package on NBC Sports Gold. The deal ended ABC's coverage of the Indianapolis 500 after 50-plus years.
NBC Sports renewed its exclusive television deal on July 20, 2021. A few aspects changed in the new contract. The majority of the series races would now be broadcast on NBC (13 in 2022). In a series' first, up to two races per season would be aired on NBCUniversal's new subscription streaming service Peacock, in addition to practice and qualifying sessions. USA Network would also become NBC's new cable outlet, following the shuttering of NBCSN at the end of 2021, airing all races not on NBC or Peacock.
2025–present: New contract with Fox On February 14, 2024, Racer reported that Fox Sports was preparing to make a serious bid for the series' television rights for the 2025 season and beyond. However, on April 5, it was reported that both Fox and NBC were in frontrunner positions for a new television contract. IndyCar announced a multi-year television contract with Fox Sports on June 12, 2025. Under this new contract, all seventeen points races will be broadcast on the main Fox network. Additionally, two sessions of time trials for the Indianapolis 500 will be televised on Fox, bringing the total annual windows on the network to nineteen. All other practice and qualifying coverage will air on a combination of FS1 and FS2, as will races from the Indy NXT series.
Races televised
1996
Date Event (track) Network Commentary Pit reporters Lap-by-lap Color January 27 Indy 200 (Walt Disney World) ABC Paul Page Danny SullivanBobby Unser Jack AruteGary Gerould March 24 Dura Lube 200 (Phoenix) ABC Paul Page Danny SullivanBobby Unser Jack AruteGary Gerould May 26 Indianapolis 500 ABC Paul Page Danny SullivanBobby Unser Jack AruteGary GerouldJerry Punch
1996–97
Date Event (track) Network Commentary Pit reporters Lap-by-lap Color August 18 True Value 200 (New Hampshire) ABC Paul Page Bobby Unser Jack AruteGary Gerould September 15 Las Vegas 500K ABC Paul Page Danny SullivanBobby Unser Jack AruteGary Gerould January 25 Indy 200 (Walt Disney World) ABC Paul Page Bobby Unser Jack AruteGary Gerould March 23 Phoenix 200 ABC Paul Page Tom Sneva Jack AruteGary Gerould May 25–27 81st Indianapolis 500 ABC Paul Page Tom SnevaDanny SullivanBobby Unser Jack AruteGary GerouldJerry Punch June 7 True Value 500 (Texas) ESPN2 Paul Page Jon Beekhuis Jerry PunchMarty Reid June 29 Samsonite 200 (Pikes Peak) ABC Paul Page Tom Sneva Jack AruteJon Beekhuis July 26 VisionAire 500 (Charlotte) CBS Mike Joy Scott Sharp Brian HammonsMike King August 17 Pennzoil 200 (New Hampshire) ABC Paul Page Tom Sneva Jack AruteJon Beekhuis October 11 Las Vegas 500K ABC Paul Page Tom Sneva Jon BeekhuisGary Gerould
1998
Date Event (track) Network Commentary Pit reporters Lap-by-lap Color January 24 Indy 200 (Walt Disney World) ABC Paul Page Tom Sneva Jack AruteGary Gerould March 22 Dura Lube 200 (Phoenix) ABC Paul Page Tom Sneva Jack AruteGary Gerould May 24 82nd Indianapolis 500 ABC Paul Page Tom Sneva Jack AruteGary GerouldJerry Punch June 6 True Value 500 (Texas) TNN Mike Joy Tom Sneva Ralph SheheenVince Welch June 28 New England 200 (New Hampshire) CBS Mike Joy Tom Sneva Dick BerggrenRalph Sheheen July 19 Pep Boys 400K (Dover) CBS Mike Joy Tom Sneva Dick BerggrenRalph Sheheen July 25 VisionAire 500K (Charlotte) TNN Eli Gold Tom Sneva Bobby GerouldVince Welch August 16 Radisson 200 (Pikes Peak) ABC Paul Page Mike Groff Jack AruteJon Beekhuis August 29 Atlanta 500 Classic TNN Mike Joy Tom Sneva Ralph SheheenVince Welch September 20 Lone Star 500 (Texas) ABC Paul Page Mike Groff Jon BeekhuisGary Gerould October 11 Las Vegas 500K TNN Mike Joy Tom Sneva Ralph SheheenVince Welch
1999
Date Event (track) Network Commentary Pit reporters Lap-by-lap Color January 24 TransWorld Diversified Services Indy 200 (Walt Disney World) ABC Paul Page Tom Sneva Jack AruteGary Gerould March 28 MCI WorldCom 200 (Phoenix) FSN Dave Calabro Jack AruteArie Luyendyk Calvin FishVince Welch May 1 VisionAire 500K (Charlotte) Speedvision Dave Calabro Jack AruteArie Luyendyk Calvin FishVince Welch May 30 83rd Indianapolis 500 ABC Bob Jenkins Tom Sneva Jon BeekhuisGary GerouldJerry Punch June 12 Longhorn 500 (Texas) FSN Dave Calabro Jack AruteArie Luyendyk Calvin FishVince Welch June 27 Radisson 200 (Pikes Peak) FSN Dave Calabro Jack AruteArie Luyendyk Calvin FishVince Welch July 1 Kobalt Mechanics Tools 500 (Atlanta) FSN Dave Calabro Jack AruteArie Luyendyk Calvin FishVince Welch August 1 MBNA Mid-Atlantic 200 (Dover) Fox Jack Arute Vince WelchArie Luyendyk Calvin FishSteve Roggie August 29 Colorado Indy 200 (Pikes Peak) FSN Dave Calabro Jack AruteArie Luyendyk Calvin FishVince Welch September 26 Vegas.com 500 ESPN2 Bob Jenkins Arie Luyendyk Jack AruteVince Welch October 17 Mall.com 500 (Texas) ABCESPN2 Jack Arute Arie Luyendyk Marty ReidVince Welch
2000
Date Event (track) Network Commentary Pit reporters Lap-by-lap Color January 29 Delphi Indy 200 (Walt Disney World) ABC Bob Jenkins Tom Sneva Jack AruteVince Welch March 19 MCI WorldCom Indy 200 (Phoenix) ABC Bob Jenkins Tom Sneva Jack AruteVince Welch April 22 Vegas Indy 300 (Las Vegas) ABC Bob Jenkins Tom Sneva Jack AruteVince Welch May 28 84th Indianapolis 500 ABC Bob Jenkins Tom SnevaArie Luyendyk Jack AruteLeslie GudelJerry PunchVince Welch June 11 Casino Magic 500 (Texas) ESPN2 Bob Jenkins Tom Sneva Jack AruteVince Welch June 18 Radisson 200 (Pikes Peak) ABC Bob Jenkins Tom Sneva Jack AruteVince Welch July 15 Midas 500 Classic (Atlanta) ESPN Bob Jenkins Tom Sneva Jack AruteVince Welch August 27 Belterra Resort Indy 300 (Kentucky) ESPN Bob Jenkins Tom Sneva Jack AruteVince Welch October 15 Excite 500 (Texas) ABC Bob Jenkins Tom Sneva Jack AruteVince Welch
2001
Date Event (track) Network Commentary Pit reporters Lap-by-lap Color March 18 Pennzoil Copper World Indy 200 (Phoenix) ABC Bob Jenkins Larry RiceJason Priestley Jack AruteVince Welch April 8 Infiniti Grand Prix of Miami (Homestead) ABC Bob Jenkins Larry RiceJason Priestley Jack AruteVince Welch April 28 zMax 500 (Atlanta) ESPN2 Bob Jenkins Larry RiceJason Priestley Jack AruteVince Welch May 27 85th Indianapolis 500 ABC Bob Jenkins Larry RiceJason Priestley Jack AruteLeslie GudelJerry PunchVince Welch June 9 Casino Magic 500 (Texas) ESPN Bob Jenkins Larry RiceJason Priestley Jack AruteVince Welch June 17 Radisson Indy 200 (Pikes Peak) ABC Bob Jenkins Larry RiceJason Priestley Jack AruteVince Welch June 30 SunTrust Indy Challenge (Richmond) ESPN Bob Jenkins Larry RiceJason Priestley Jack AruteVince Welch July 8 Ameristar Casino Indy 200 (Kansas) ABC Bob Jenkins Larry RiceJason Priestley Jack AruteVince Welch July 21 Harrah's 200 (Nashville) ESPN Bob Jenkins Larry RiceJason Priestley Vince Welch August 12 Belterra Resort Indy 300 (Kentucky) ABC Bob Jenkins Larry RiceJason Priestley Vince Welch August 26 Gateway Indy 250 ESPN Bob Jenkins Larry RiceJason Priestley Vince Welch September 2 Delphi Indy 300 (Chicagoland) ABC Bob Jenkins Larry RiceJason Priestley Vince Welch October 6 Chevy 500 (Texas) ESPN2 Bob Jenkins Larry RiceJason Priestley Jerry PunchVince Welch
2002