- Viewership 279% higher than last year’s average for non-Indy 500 races on Fox
- Audience was larger than F1’s record viewership in the US
- IndyCar president says race is “probably a one-off”
IndyCar attracted a record audience of 3.28 million viewers on Fox for its first-ever race on the streets of Washington DC.
It represents the highest viewership for the series outside of the Indianapolis 500 since the unification with the Champ Car World Series in 2008. It is also a 279 per cent increase over last year’s average viewership for non-Indy 500 races on Fox.
Notably, this is higher than Formula One’s record viewership in the US (3.1 million viewers for the 2024 Miami Grand Prix) and only lower than four Nascar Cup Series races this season (Daytona 500, Atlanta, Circuit of The Americas, and Talladega).
IndyCar viewership has been particularly strong in its sophomore year on Fox. The series is now averaging just over 1.6 million viewers with just three races remaining, comfortably its highest average audience ever at this stage of the season.
Known as the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington DC to celebrate 250 years since American independence, the street race was only added to the 2026 schedule in February following an executive order signed by US president Donald Trump. The event was the first motor race to be held on the National Mall.
The close involvement of Trump and the unique backdrop meant this race was always likely to draw more eyeballs than usual. The 47th president of the US even waved the green flag to mark the start of the race – a moment that became an instant viral hit across social media.
Despite the success of the inaugural race, IndyCar president J. Douglas Boles told Sports Business Journal (SBJ) that the race is not likely to return.
“I just think we have to get through this one — make sure it delivers,” he said. “We hope it delivers, which is a really cool way to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our country, and a way to showcase the IndyCar brand.
“And then we can sit down and look at it. But I think at this point in time, if you were saying, ‘Hey, which way do you think it goes?’ I think this is probably a one-off.”
However, both the Trump administration and DC mayor Muriel Bowser have expressed interest in turning the race into an annual event. IndyCar may still baulk at the chance, though, given that setup costs totalled US$35 million.
Don’t miss the latest news and insights from across the business world of motorsport. Subscribe to the BlackBook Motorsport Weekly newsletter here.