Mark Miles Doesn't Believe Record-Low Indianapolis 500 Audience Will Impact TV Talks

Hulman & Co. CEO Mark Miles "hopes to have negotiations for a new IndyCar Series TV contract 'substantially done'" in Q4 of this year, and he "doesn’t think the decline in this year’s Indy 500 will have any impact on negotiations," according to Anthony Schoettle of the INDIANAPOLIS BUSINESS JOURNAL. Despite the audience bump caused by airing the race live in Indianapolis last year, Miles said that there is "little thought to lifting the local blackout in the future." Miles said, “The relevance of the gate will continue to take priority over the local TV audience." Miles added, “In New York, they’re looking at our overall trajectory, and there’s a clear understanding we have momentum." Schoettle noted this year's record-low rating "comes at a bad time as IMS and IndyCar Series officials open negotiations for their TV contract." ABC's current contract to air the Indy 500 "runs through next year, and some broadcast and sports media experts have suggested other broadcast and Internet properties could be interested in pursuing rights to air the race." As IndyCar's biggest race, by far, the Indy 500 is a "bargaining chip for the series to use to land an attractive TV package for the rest of its races" (IBJ.com, 5/30).

BRICKYARD MARKER: The race on Sunday finished with 5.27 million viewers on ABC, easily marking the least-viewed Indy 500 on record. That figure is down from 6.0 million viewers in '16, and down from 6.48 million viewers two years ago. The previous low was 5.74 million viewers in ’13 (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).