NBC Sports’ coverage of the 2020 NTT Indycar Series begins on Sunday, March 15th, 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.