Coming off of double-digit viewership increases in its first season as the exclusive home of INDYCAR, NBC Sports is set to provide more than 300 hours of INDYCAR action in 2020 across NBC, NBCSN, NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app and NBC Sports Gold’s INDYCAR Pass – highlighted by the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 24, on NBC.
Highlights of NBC Sports’ 2020 INDYCAR schedule:
- NBC Sports’ presentation of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 24, on NBC, NBCSports.com, and the NBC Sports app;
- Eight total INDYCAR races on NBC, including the Grand Prix of Indianapolis on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on Saturday, May 9; the Detroit Dual at Belle Isle on the weekend of May 30-31, and the final two races of the season in Portland, Ore., (Sunday, Sept. 6) and Laguna Seca in Monterey Calif., (Sunday, Sept. 20);
- Extensive coverage on NBC Sports Gold’s INDYCAR Pass – NBC Sports’ direct-to-consumer live streaming INDYCAR product – including live coverage of all practices and qualifying, all Indy Lights races, and on-demand replays.
NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets and connected TVs – will stream all races during the 2020 INDYCAR campaign.
2020 INDYCAR SEASON ON NBC AND NBCSN
NBC Sports’ coverage of the 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES begins on Sunday, March 15, on NBCSN with live coverage of the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the first of 17 races to air on NBC and NBCSN during the season.
The 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500, set for Sunday, May 24, 2020, will mark the second appearance ever on NBC. Last year, NBC Sports’ inaugural presentation of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on NBC, averaged a TAD of 5.475 million viewers, up 11% vs. the 2018 race (TV-only 4.913 million, ABC).
NBC Sports has expanded its Indy 500 qualifying coverage in 2020, adding a second day of broadcast coverage and two additional hours on NBC. Indy 500 qualifying on Saturday, May 16, will air from 2-5 p.m. ET on NBC, followed by qualifying coverage on Sunday, May 17, on NBC from 1-3 p.m. ET.
The Indy 500 will also be included in NBC Sports’ Championship Season marketing campaign, which touts numerous high-profile championship events that are presented across NBC Sports platforms from May to July, including horse racing’s Triple Crown, Premier League Championship Sunday, French Open, Stanley Cup Final, Tour de France, and The Open Championship.
INDYCAR coverage on NBC will begin with the Grand Prix of Indianapolis on Saturday, May 9. Following the Indy 500, NBC will present the Detroit Dual races from the Raceway at Belle Isle Park on the weekend of May 30-31, followed by races at Road America in Kohler, Wis., on Sunday, June 21, and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, on Sunday, August 16. The season’s penultimate race in Portland, Ore., will be on NBC on Sunday, Sept. 6, followed by the INDYCAR championship and season finale at iconic Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 20.
NBCSN will televise the first four races of the 2020 INDYCAR SERIES season. Following the season opener at St. Pete, NBCSN will showcase the Grand Prix of Alabama from Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham on Sunday, April 5, followed by the iconic Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 19, and Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, April 26.
NBCSN will also present INDYCAR’s return to Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Va. on Saturday, June 27, in primetime, which will mark the first INDYCAR race at the oval track since 2009. Other primetime races on NBCSN include Texas Motor Speedway on June 6 and Gateway outside of St. Louis, Mo., on August 22. Additional INDYCAR schedule mainstays include the Streets of Toronto on July 12 and Iowa Speedway on July 18.
Following is the NBC Sports’ 2020 INDYCAR television schedule on NBC and NBCSN:
| Date | Race/Track | Network | Time (ET) |
| Sun, March 15 | Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg | NBCSN | 3 p.m. |
| Sun., April 5 | Honda Grand Prix of Alabama | NBCSN | 4 p.m. |
| Sun., April 19 | Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach | NBCSN | 4 p.m. |
| Sun., April 26 | AutoNation INDYCAR Challenge at Circuit of The Americas | NBCSN | 3:30 p.m. |
| Sat., May 9 | GMR Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway | NBC | 3 p.m. |
| Sun., May 24 | The 104th Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge | NBC | 11 a.m. |
| Sat., May 30 | Chevrolet Dual in Detroit – Race 1 | NBC | 3 p.m. |
| Sun., May 31 | Chevrolet Dual in Detroit – Race 2 | NBC | 3 p.m. |
| Sat., June 6 | Texas Indy 600 | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Sun., June 21 | REV Group Grand Prix at Road America | NBC | 12 p.m. |
| Sat., June 27 | Indy Richmond 300 | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Sun., July 12 | Honda Indy Toronto | NBCSN | 3 p.m. |
| Sat., July 18 | Iowa 300 | NBCSN | 8:30 p.m. |
| Sun., August 16 | Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio | NBC | 12:30 p.m. |
| Sat., August 22 | Bommarito Automotive Group 500 | NBCSN | 8 p.m. |
| Sun., September 6 | Grand Prix of Portland | NBC | 3 p.m. |
| Sun., September 20 | Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at Laguna Seca | NBC | 2:30 p.m. |
*details for qualifying and practice telecasts will be released at a later date
2020 INDYCAR SEASON ON NBC SPORTS GOLD
NBC Sports Gold ‘s INDYCAR Pass will deliver 200+ hours of programming in 2020, including 50+ hours of coverage surrounding the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, all Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires races, race-day warmups, full-event replays of all NTT INDYCAR SERIES races.
All qualifying and practice sessions will be streamed live on INDYCAR Pass, many on an exclusive basis. Some practice and qualifying sessions will be available on television either live or on delay. INDYCAR Pass on NBC Sports Gold will also feature INDYCAR archival and library content, and other motorsports shoulder programming. Click here for more details.
ABOUT INDYCAR
INDYCAR is the Indianapolis-based governing body for North America’s premier open-wheel auto racing series known as the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The series features an international field of the world’s most versatile drivers – including five-time series champion Scott Dixon, reigning series champion Josef Newgarden and defending Indianapolis 500 winner Simon Pagenaud – who compete on superspeedways, short ovals, street circuits and permanent road courses. The season, which runs from March to September, currently consists of 17 races in the United States and Canada, and is highlighted by the historic Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge held annually in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IMS Productions are owned by Penske Corporation, a global transportation, automotive and motorsports leader. For more information on INDYCAR and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, please visit www.indycar.com.
ABOUT NBC SPORTS GROUP
NBC Sports Group serves sports fans 24/7 with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. The sports media company consists of NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, NBCSN, Golf Channel, Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA, NBC Sports Regional Networks, NBC Sports Radio and NBC Sports Digital, which includes NBCSports.com, NBCOlympics.com, GolfChannel.com, the digital assets of the NBC Sports Regional Networks, Rotoworld, the NBC Sports Talk franchise, multiple apps, and two transactional sports businesses, GolfNow and SportsEngine. NBC Sports Group possesses an unparalleled collection of television rights agreements, partnering with some of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the International Olympic Committee and United States Olympic Committee, the NFL, NHL, NASCAR, INDYCAR, PGA TOUR, The R&A, PGA of America, Churchill Downs, Premier League, Tour de France, French Open, and many more.
