Dismal IndyCar TV Ratings Continue

There is simply no other way to put it. If IndyCar racing hasn't already hit rock bottom, then we certainly can see it from here. Another race, another television audience of fewer than a quarter of a million viewers. Mid-Ohio was almost as bad as Kentucky. Anthony Schoettle of the Indianapolis Business Journal has the details.



Might we at least put the "teams and drivers need more exposure" argument to bed, once and for all? Versus promoted the IRL during the Tour de France more thoroughly than IndyCar racing has ever been promoted, anywhere. The spots, featuring Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan, ran consistently during Lance Armstrong's return to the Republic.

Does anyone else see irony in the following real-life scenario? American television viewers tuned-in to a French bicycle race to see whether or not an American icon would win. Those same American television viewers have since demonstrated that they are not particularly interested in watching a Kiwi and a Brazilian race cars. Note that this is merely an observation and that the Republic is profoundly aware that markets can be unfair and ruthless.

Tough Tuberculosis!

Provided every opportunity to sample the IndyCar product, more than one half-million Lance fans declined the offer. The Tour de France and MMA have demonstrated that Versus is capable of drawing an audience of credible size. The problem is not the television partner. The problem is that the market has once again rejected the IndyCar product.


We do not blame IRL management for not wanting to believe that its present suppliers (drivers and teams) and partners (chassis and engines) are pushing the sport toward oblivion. But truth can no longer be concealed by comp tickets underwritten by Honda and Firestone.

Consumer interest in IndyCar racing was much, much greater when Scott Sharp, Greg Ray, Eddie Cheever and Billy Boat were battling under the lights at Texas Motor Speedway. If you revisit the attendance figures and TV ratings for those races, then you will have no choice but to concede the point. In spite of all the negativity that tarnished the IRL brand at that time, it nevertheless earned at least some measure of support in the consumer marketplace. We can not say the same for today's version.