The 2025 Indianapolis 500 was a massive success in terms of viewership, with Fox Sports making its broadcasting debut in the event. The network announced on Monday that the race drew 7.05 million viewers, a 40% rise from what NBC Sports managed in 2024.
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The volume of spectators, understandably, led to comparisons with the viewership numbers FOX Sports had captured at NASCAR’s 2025 Daytona 500. The Great American Race, broadcast on Fox Sports this year, raked in 6.761 million viewers.
The lower number led to many pushing the notion that the Indy 500 was a bigger spectacle than the Daytona 500. But veteran reporter Jeff Gluck set the record straight, presenting some much-needed context.
“You’re going to see comparisons to Daytona [which got less viewers] — don’t fall into that trap. Daytona had a 3.5-hour rain delay this year. But still, awesome number for Indy. Just no need to pit them against each other,” wrote Gluck on X.
NASCAR fans jumped in to support the journalist, presenting the reasons for the lower eyeballs garnered by the Daytona 500.
“Given the rain delay at Daytona, that is not bad,” commented one fan. Another added, “Pretty good considering how much advertising Indycar has gotten from Fox, compared to the 500.”
Pretty good considering how much advertising Indycar has gotten from Fox, compared to the 500
— hen =w= (@Henry03Studios) May 26, 2025
One of the biggest advantages the Indy 500 had this time was the participation of Hendrick Motorsports superstar Kyle Larson. He attempted the Indy 500–Coca-Cola 600 double, a feat that intrigued viewers who tuned into Fox Sports.
A fan highlighted this: “Congrats for both. Larson definitely helped the Indy numbers. He’s the only reason I watched.”
It was once again proven that rain delays have a significant impact on race viewership. “Daytona’s rain delay once again hinders the audience. Otherwise, it would have been 8-9 million,” commented a fan.
However, the Indy 500 was also postponed by about 45 minutes due to light rain. The record numbers arrived despite this. The race was the most-watched motorsports event in the United States since 2023, according to Sports Media Watch.
The comparisons with the Daytona 500 notwithstanding, this is a huge win for the IndyCar Series. The promotion took a giant gamble by moving away from NBC Sports after a 16-year relationship.
That said, Fox Sports hasn’t been receiving rave reviews from the NASCAR audience in recent years. So, the network’s successful IndyCar debut came as a much-needed positive note.
While the length of the deal between IndyCar Series and Fox Sports hasn’t been revealed yet, reports suggest that it is worth $25 million per year.
