(LOS ANGELES, CAL.) – Sunday’s XPEL Grand Prix at Road America delivered a major victory off the track, too, drawing 1.803 million average viewers on FOX — the highest non-Indy 500 television audience since 2011.

This marks a 131% surge compared to last year’s Road America telecast, which attracted just 781,000 viewers. The race also recorded a 108% increase over 2025’s typical FOX Sunday non-Indy 500 broadcasts, which averaged 867,000 viewers.

In an impressive demographic shift, the 18–34 age group saw a 294% boost in impressions, jumping from 65,000 to 256,000 viewers year-over-year.

The audience peaked at 2.943 million during a brief crossover with World Cup coverage from 2:29–2:30 p.m. ET. Across the first ten races this season on FOX and FS1, IndyCar is now averaging 2.033 million viewers, a 14% increase over the same stretch last year, and a 44% leap from the 2024 NBC/USA/CNBC telecasts.

Roger Penske, owner of IndyCar, praised the results: “It’s the largest series race viewing audience outside of the Indianapolis 500 since 2011 – amazing… It’s really a credit to all FOX is doing to promote our sport and build on the momentum we have now in IndyCar racing.”

FOX Sports’ Jacob Ullman added that the success underscores the value of committing to a full race season on broadcast TV, calling Road America a “halo event” that lifts the entire FOX Sports lineup.
This breakout performance at Road America highlights the growing strength of IndyCar’s TV partnership and the appeal of its broadcasts to a wider, younger audience.
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