The NTT IndyCar Series will remain on NBC Sports in a multiyear media rights extension announced Tuesday morning that will raise the number of network races next season.
NBC will broadcast 13 IndyCar races near year, including the 106th Indianapolis 500 for the fourth consecutive year. The remaining races on the 2022 IndyCar schedule (which has yet to be announced) will be shown on USA Network and Peacock Premium, which will remain the streaming home for IndyCar practice and qualifying sessions, Indy Lights races and full-event replays.
Peacock also will have live streams of every race, including two exclusively that will be announced at a later date.
“NBC Sports is proud to extend its partnership with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and continue to serve as the exclusive home of the most competitive open-wheel racing series in the world and ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,’ ” Jon Miller of NBC Sports said in a release. “We have demonstrated NBCUniversal’s ability to make big events bigger with our presentations of the Indianapolis 500, we have worked closely with Roger Penske, Mark Miles and the entire team to expand INDYCAR’s reach across the U.S, and we are thrilled to build upon our collaborative successes of the past few years.”
“NBC Sports has been the ideal partner for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, bringing our bold and audacious style of racing to a significantly larger domestic audience and fully leveraging the power and scale of the Indianapolis 500,” Mark Miles, President & CEO, Penske Entertainment Corp., said in a release. “This new deal represents a significant expansion of our network TV exposure and sets us up for continued growth and success alongside a committed, innovative and world-class broadcast partner.”
NBC Sports’ coverage of the IndyCar Series hit several viewership milestones last season.
The 105th Indy 500, which was the record-tying fourth won by Helio Castroneves, was the most-watched edition of The Greatest Spectacle in Racing since the 100th Running in 2016, and NBC Sports is enjoying its most-watched IndyCar season through nine of 16 races this year with viewership up 30 percent vs. comparable coverage in 2020.
The full 2022 IndyCar broadcast schedule on NBC, USA and Peacock will be announced in the coming months.