Zak Brown speaks out on 'GAME-CHANGING' new IndyCar deal

Zak Brown, Bahrain GP, McLaren, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

IndyCar

Zak Brown speaks out on 'GAME-CHANGING' new IndyCar deal

The McLaren boss is excited about the new link with Fox Sports

Kamron Kent

Saturday 15 June 2024 20:00

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has dubbed the new IndyCar/Fox Sports TV deal a ‘game-changer’ after the series saw an 8% uplift in viewers for this year's Indy500.

After holding the rights to IndyCar since 2009, before getting full rights in 2019, NBC will see their partnership come to an end with the series.

The new deal will see ‘massive and unprecedented’ coverage in North America’s single-seater series, with every race in 2025 being aired on FOX and the FOX Sports app.

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FOX Sports will now hold some of the most prestigious motorsports events, such as IndyCar’s Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s Daytona 500.

The Indy 500 is the sport's most popular race

Brown: New deal is a game-changer

In a post on Twitter, the Californian wrote: “The TV rights deal between @IndyCar and @FOXSports is a fantastic step forward for the series.

“Making every 2025 race available for fans to tune in is a game-changer that will bring greater exposure to the race series and @ArrowMcLaren, bringing new fans to the sport and existing fans closer to the action!”

This new deal follows mixed streaming for this year's Indy 500 on NBC, with only 286,000 streaming the event but a massive audience watching via more traditional methods.

According to BusinessF1 Magazine, this year’s edition of the race racked up an average audience of 5.34 million, peaking at 6.46 million as the race drew to a close, an 8% bump over last year's figured.

On the deal, FOX Sports CEO and Executive Producer Eric Shanks said: “Adding the iconic Indianapolis 500 and delivering the entire NTT INDYCAR SERIES to the FOX Sports roster fits perfectly within our model of teaming with sports’ largest events and best-in-class brands.

“We’re honored to be the new broadcast home to ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,’ an incredibly special event to everyone at FOX Sports.”

IndyCar Zak Brown Arrow McLaren Fox Sports