IndyCar will lift its traditional local TV blackout for the Indianapolis 500 as the iconic race looks set for its first sellout crowd since 2016.
Confirmed:
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) officials are expecting a crowd of 350,000
- A select few tickets remain in the IMS grandstands, but full reserved seating sellout likely to occur today
Context:
This will be the first sellout for the Indy 500 since the 2016 edition, which was notable for being the 100th running of the iconic race. To protect ticket sales for the event, there is a local TV blackout for live coverage that has rarely been lifted in the long history of the Indy 500. It was done away with last year after terrible weather delayed the start of the race by four hours, so the last time the blackout was lifted because of a sellout crowd was 2016.
Comment:
“This year, the greatest race on Earth will host one of its biggest and most memorable crowds in many decades,” said Penske Entertainment president and chief executive Mark Miles.
“This is a terrific showcase for the NTT IndyCar Series and a great milestone to supercharge our relationship with Fox Sports. It is also absolutely a fitting tribute to the continued leadership and investment of Roger Penske.”
“The very best fans in sports have delivered in historic and fitting fashion for the incredible stars of the NTT IndyCar Series,” added IndyCar and IMS president J Douglas Boles.
“The sheer size and scale of this crowd is going to be massive and will offer an epic backdrop for the very first Indy 500 on Fox. The 109th running will be a full-scale, nonstop spectacle that draws the eyes of the world to Speedway, Indiana.”
Coming next:
The 109th running of the Indy 500 takes place this weekend on 25th May.
Go deeper:
- IndyCar’s TV deal with Fox: Why has the series left NBC and what does the move mean for its future?
- IndyCar 2024 season review: Stuttering viewership and off-track politics overshadow an exciting year
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