The Indianapolis 500 celebrates its centennial Sunday, and while the race "again is a highlight on the sports calendar it has lost much of its luster as a major television force," according to Dan Caesar of the ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH. NASCAR's Daytona 500 has "out-rated the Indy 500 for the last 15 years, something that had happened only twice in the previous 22 years." Daytona since '00 also has "more than doubled Indy's rating most times." Additionally, the Indy 500 "has beaten the Coca-Cola 600, NASCAR's race that runs the same night, only once in the last five years." That occurred in '09, when the 600 was "rained out and run the following afternoon." ABC will broadcast the Indianapolis 500 "for the 47th consecutive time" Sunday, and ESPN Senior VP & Exec Producer for Event Production Jed Drake said that it is "important now to draw in younger viewers." Drake: "I'm pretty bullish on it, and I think that is the direction we're going." Caesar notes ABC "plans to weave a lot of history into the telecast," which begins at 11:00am ET ahead of the 12:10pm race start time. Drake: "We recognize the importance of this event for the event itself, but also by addition, the historical significance of itself and the period of time" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 5/27). Drake added, "I do believe this event has staying power and it is on a growth curve. It is something that absolutely, positively exceeds the notion of it being just a motorsports event" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 5/27).
HOW FAR WE'VE COME: In Cincinnati, John Kiesewetter writes under the header, "Indy 500 Coverage Has Come A Long Way." ABC will use 64 cameras Sunday "to capture the action live -- including 360-degree rotating onboard cameras on multiple cars." All 33 cars in the starting grid "will carry GPS boxes to provide telemetry and pointers to help identify the cars for viewers." Those advances come after the race was carried live for the first time just 25 years ago. The race was first broadcast in '65 "as just highlights on ABC's 'Wide World of Sports,' then became a same-day, primetime program in 1971" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 5/27).
NOT WHAT IT ONCE WAS: In Sacramento, Tom Couzens writes the "proliferation of motor sports on TV has taken some luster off the Indy 500." Couzens: "It's still the Indy, but nowadays we don't have to wait until Memorial Day weekend; there seems to be auto racing on TV nearly all the time" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 5/27). In Milwaukee, Bob Wolfley wrote the race is "still a spectacle, but lacks the vivid colors and verve it had from the 1960s to the early '90s." Wolfley noted 49% of the sports industry execs who responded to a Turnkey Sports poll found the Indy 500 to be "on the decline," compared to 37% who thought it was "holding its own" and 7% that thought it was "on the rise." However, 41% of respondents consider Indy "the most prestigious motorsports race," ahead of 33% for the Daytona 500 and 14% for the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco (JSONLINE.com, 5/26).
