The Indianapolis 500, a crown jewel of American motorsports, revved up its television audience to a 17-year high on Sunday, with Alex Palou's thrilling victory averaging a substantial 7.05 million viewers on Fox, according to Nielsen. This marks a significant viewership milestone, making it the most-watched Indy 500 since 2008, when Scott Dixon's win attracted 7.25 million viewers on ABC – a year that also coincided with the unification of the open-wheel series.

The race’s conclusion saw an even greater surge in viewership, peaking at 8.44 million viewers between 4:15-4:30 p.m. EDT, underscoring the dramatic nature of the final moments.

This year's broadcast was particularly notable as it marked Fox's inaugural coverage of the IndyCar package. The Indianapolis 500 has a rich broadcasting history, having been aired by ABC from 1965 until 2018. More recently, NBC held the rights to the prestigious race from 2019 through 2024.

Fox's debut proved to be a resounding success, delivering a remarkable 40% increase in viewership compared to last year's race, which averaged 5.02 million viewers on NBC.

Furthermore, the 2025 Indianapolis 500 achieved a rare feat by outdrawing the Daytona 500 in terms of viewership. The February 16th Daytona 500 averaged 6.76 million viewers, though it faced significant challenges with two rain delays totaling 3 ½ hours. This marks only the second time since 2001 that the Indianapolis 500 has surpassed the Daytona 500 in television audience.