Roger Penske claims sold-out 2025 Indy 500 generated $1 billion with FOX being a "great quarterback"

Roger Penske has revealed the financial impact of the 109th Indy 500. The Greatest Spectacle of Racing was sold out for the first time since its 100th running in 2016, with over 350,000 fans in attendance at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The fabled 2.5-mile IMS oval crowned a new winner in reigning IndyCar champion Alex Palou, who took his breakthrough oval win at the grandest oval circuit in the world. Roger Penske's Team Penske was shrouded in controversy, with Josef Newgarden and Will Power's cars starting the race from the back of the grid after being penalized for illegal rear attenuators that IndyCar found during qualifying.

For Penske, the race was no better as Scott McLaughlin crashed on the pre-race pace lap, and Newgarden suffered a fuel pump issue later in the race. Power was the only finisher for the team, finishing in P16.

However, looking at the bigger picture, Roger Penske's passion for the Indy 500, combined with FOX's marketing genius, struck the right note with racing fans. In an interview with Forbes, the 88-year-old said:

"When you think about the fans themselves, the demographics and the kids and the people were there, you have to be there and look at the impact that it has for the State of Indiana. Probably $1 billion dollars coming out of that race weekend and the rest of things we do there. So, I could only say FOX was a great quarterback."

The 2025 Indy 500 achieved a record TV audience with an average viewership of 7.05 million and peaking at 8.4 million viewers. It became the most-watched Indy 500 since 2008, which drew 7.2 million viewers and was won by Palou's teammate, Scott Dixon.

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Roger Penske reveals the 2025 Indy 500 had 100% increase in younger audiences

Alex Palou celebrates with fans after winning the 109th Running Of The Indianapolis 500 - Source: Getty

One of the main goals for the Roger Penske-owned IndyCar series in 2025 was to bring in younger demographics with the help of its new media and broadcasting partner, FOX. The premier American open-wheel series had over 70% viewers above the age of 55 in 2023.

Roger Penske also spoke about the massive change in the younger demographic in the TV audience of the 109th Indy 500.

"I think one thing you’ve got to take a look at is that the 18 to 36-year-olds was up 100 percent when you looked at TV audience. I would say that we also had a tremendous amount of young people, a lot more women than we’ve had in the past. So, the sport, I think, is resonating across many different age groups, certainly from the standpoint of the fan base," the Team Penske owner told Forbes.

After six races in 2025, IndyCar has 30% more viewers than in 2024. The Indy 500 had 40% more viewers than the 108th running last year.