“Severely disappointing”: Fans react as IndyCar viewership numbers paint concerning picture

IndyCar has again come under scrutiny as the American open-wheel racing series witnessed a drop in viewership for the recent Mid-Ohio Grand Prix. The Lexington event, which marked the commencement of the second half of the 2025 campaign, saw a dip in television audience numbers, sparking reactions among fans.

Despite the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course race offering a different twist — with Scott Dixon clinching victory ahead of Alex Palou — it appears this did little to attract television viewers. According to a post shared on X by motorsports expert Adam Stern, the race recorded a total TV viewership of 775,000, which represents a 40% decline from the 1.25 million recorded during the 2024 edition of the same race.

The Sports Business Journal reporter, however, attributed this dip to the clashing schedule between the open-wheel racing event and the NASCAR Chicago race, which were only a few hours apart. However, fans aired their frustration over the continued decline in the series' viewership, particularly for races that clash or are scheduled close to NASCAR events.

One disappointed fan commented on X:

“Severely disappointing.”

Another, who tried to dissect the reason behind the dip in numbers, wrote:

“Early Sunday afternoon on a holiday weekend — this is not a surprise. People are traveling, doing family gatherings, at the beach, lakes, etc.”

A third fan also remarked:

“They could have had more if they would quit have Indy races on at the same time as Nascar. Can't watch both at the same time!”

Another, who appeared to offer a solution to the decline, posted:

“Yeah, it’s time for more ovals. I’d be stunned if this week at Iowa doesn’t get significantly better ratings.”

One more fan shared:

“Stop airing motorsports against other motorsports. How many times does this happen before the execs get a clue?”

So far, IndyCar has faced fluctuating numbers in terms of viewership. This earlier prompted what series president Doug Boles dubbed an "experiment" when they opted to host the Bommarito 500 Grand Prix in prime time.

What IndyCar president said about NASCAR competition

IndyCar president Doug Boles shared his thoughts on the competition between the open-wheel racing series and NASCAR. The 58-year-old, who was previously involved in stock car racing, highlighted the mutual benefits and lessons both series could draw from one another.

In an interview with BlackBook Motorsport earlier in June, the motorsports chief was asked about the series rivalry with NASCAR.

“From the outside, I know people think NASCAR and IndyCar are competing against each other. At some level, we are, but at another level, we need each other to be successful, and we need to learn from each other. NASCAR has been an open book with me forever and continues to be, so I will just learn from them and then hopefully we get our event announced here soon,” he concluded.

Despite the collaborative sentiment, IndyCar has faced viewership challenges this season—particularly with races scheduled close to NASCAR events.

With the exception of the Indy 500, several races scheduled near NASCAR events have experienced fluctuating audience numbers compared to their 2024 outings. Earlier in the season, at the Thermal Club Grand Prix, the IndyCar series attracted significant backlash from fans when major broadcaster FOX, after suffering a production glitch, opted to air a NASCAR race instead of continuing coverage of the IndyCar event.