MOORESVILLE, N.C. – The rejuvenation of the NTT IndyCar Series is not only felt by the increased crowds and enthusiasm at many of its race, but also in the television viewing audience.
Season-long ratings and other data released by NBC this week prove that 2021 was a positive sign of growth as an average of 1.2 million fans tuned in to each race.
“IndyCar is delighted with our TV progress during the 2021 season,” IndyCar owner Roger Penske told SPEED SPORT. “During the 2021 season, our results were driven by our people and partnership with IMS Productions and NBC.”
Penske Entertainment owns and operates the IndyCar, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indianapolis 500 and IMS Productions.
“NBC is a great partner, presenting our compelling racing to fans in a captivating way,” Penske Entertainment CEO Mark Miles told SPEED SPORT. “The results this year will serve as a springboard for even greater growth in our audiences in 2022.”
NBC Sports’ coverage of the NTT IndyCar Series season delivered its most-watched IndyCar season on record, NBCSN’s most-watched season on record, and the best combined broadcast/cable viewership for the series in five years.
For the 15 races across NBC, NBCSN and NBC Sports digital platforms, the 2021 NTT IndyCar Series season averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 1.223 million viewers, the best in NBC Sports history, up 19% vs. last season’s average viewership (1.027 million), up 10% vs. 2019 (1.108 million), and the most-watched season for the IndyCar Series since 2016 (1.310 million, ABC/NBCSN).
IndyCar Series coverage on NBCSN averaged 632,000 viewers this season, the best in the network’s history, up 46% vs. 2020 (432,000 viewers), and up 49% vs. 2019 (423,000). NBCSN delivered two of its top four most-watched races on record in 2021, headlined by the inaugural Music City Grand Prix in Nashville, which averaged a TAD of 1.212 million viewers to rank as the network’s most-watched IndyCar Series race ever and believed to be the most-watched cable race for the series in 23 years (1998, 2.218 million, ESPN).
The 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 powered the NBC broadcast network to a substantial viewership increase this season. The “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” averaged 5.581 million viewers, up 51% vs. 2020 and up 2% vs. 2019. For NBC’s eight races this season, the network averaged a TAD of 1.722 million viewers, up 16% as compared to 2020 (1.484 million).
In addition, 2021’s Mid-Ohio IndyCar race averaged a TAD of 1.303 million viewers to stand as NBC Sports’ most-watched IndyCar race to date, excluding Indy 500s. Viewership topped the previous NBC Sports record set during last year’s primetime Texas race on NBC (1.256 million).
Locally, Indianapolis led all markets with a 4.4 household rating. Following are the Top 10 markets for the 2021 NTT IndyCar Series season.
RANK – MARKET – RATING
1. Indianapolis – 4.40
2. Knoxville – 1.85
3. Dayton – 1.80
4. Louisville – 1.69
5. Nashville – 1.68
6. Columbus, Ohio – 1.63
7. Cincinnati – 1.59
8. Ft. Myers – 1.54
9. Greenville – 1.41
10. Sacramento – 1.23
In July, IndyCar and NBC Sports announced a multi-year extension to their media rights agreement continuing NBC Sports as the exclusive home of the NTT IndyCar Series.
The 2022 IndyCar Series season will feature a record 14 races on broadcast network NBC, headlined by the 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 29. The 17-race slate, which again will be exclusively presented across NBC Sports, opens with the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, on Sunday, Feb. 27, on NBC.