Fox’s broadcast of IndyCar’s Thermal Membership race on Sunday averaged simply 704,000 viewers, down 50 per cent from the opening spherical of the season in St Petersburg earlier this month.
The viewership figures have been compromised by the clashing NASCAR Cup Collection occasion in Miami, which was broadcast on the sister Fox Sports activities 1 channel.
A small portion of the Thermal Membership race was additionally affected by a circuit breaker failing within the TV compound, inflicting the stream to be blacked out for over 10 laps.
IndyCar had beforehand recorded 788,214 viewers for final yr’s non-championship exhibition race at Thermal Membership, which was formally branded because the $1 Million Problem.
Therefore, TV viewership for this yr’s points-paying race was down by about 10 per cent from 2024, when NBC held the TV rights for IndyCar.
Fox took over the published of IndyCar this yr and has invested a sizeable quantity in rising the collection’ reputation within the US.
Aside from hiring Components 1 presenter Will Buxton to guide its commentary staff, it additionally confirmed an advert throughout this yr’s Tremendous Bowl occasion.
Fox initially loved a surge in viewers with the St Petersburg race, with 1.4 million viewers tuning in on common to look at Alex Palou take the win from Scott Dixon.
That marked the best TV score for an IndyCar spherical aside from the Indianapolis 500 because the 2011 Las Vegas race wherein Dan Wheldon was killed in an accident.
