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INDYCAR, FOX Sports Announce Historic Media Rights Deal
By INDYCAR | Published: Jun 13, 2024

FOX Sports
All 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Races To Air on FOX

Agreement Includes Extensive, Multiplatform Coverage of Indy 500 across FOX Sports Family of Networks

INDYCAR and FOX Sports announced June 13 the new exclusive home of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and the iconic Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge beginning in 2025. The new media rights deal provides a massive and unprecedented increase in exposure for North America’s premier open-wheel racing series, with every 2025 race airing on FOX and available on the FOX Sports app. FOX Deportes will carry exclusive Spanish-language television coverage, with a schedule to be announced at a later date.

FOX will also provide coverage of Indy 500 qualifications on both Saturday and Sunday, bringing the total number of broadcast network windows to 19, a record for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. INDYCAR will become the only premier motorsport in the United States with exclusive major broadcast network coverage for all its races.

“This represents unrivaled exposure and provides an unparalleled growth opportunity for the most competitive and entertaining motorsport on the planet,” INDYCAR CEO Mark Miles said. “FOX Sports is a fully committed partner, ready to bring engaging and technically innovative coverage to millions of fans across the country while also promoting INDYCAR thoroughly across all its platforms.”

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

The 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season kicks off with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday, March 2 and concludes with the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on Sunday, Aug. 31. The 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge takes place on Sunday, May 25. The full schedule for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES was released today and can be viewed here.

Indianapolis 500 Race Day coverage will be extensive for fans across the country, with a five-hour window on FOX set aside for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” The Indy 500 is annually the world’s largest single-day spectator sporting event, attracting a crowd of more than 300,000 people to the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The immersive collaboration will see all practice and qualifying sessions for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES telecast on cable on FS1 and FS2. The majority of INDY NXT by Firestone races will also air on FS1, with FS2 providing supplemental coverage of additional races.

This news comes on the heels of continued growth and momentum for INDYCAR, which has seen rising attendance across its schedule, significant growth in commercial partnerships and record metrics across its digital platforms.

Additional announcements, including on-air talent, will be announced at a later date.

2025 INDYCAR Schedule

(All races are points-paying events; all event weekends include NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone races unless otherwise noted.)

Date

Track

Network

Sunday, March 2

Streets of St. Petersburg

FOX

Sunday, March 23

The Thermal Club*

FOX

Sunday, April 13

Streets of Long Beach*

FOX

Sunday, May 4

Barber Motorsports Park

FOX

Saturday, May 10

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course^

FOX

Sunday, May 25

109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge*

FOX

Sunday, June 1

Streets of Detroit

FOX

Sunday, June 15

World Wide Technology Raceway

FOX

Sunday, June 22

Road America

FOX

Sunday, July 6

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

FOX

Saturday, July 12

Iowa Speedway Race 1

FOX

Sunday, July 13

Iowa Speedway Race 2*

FOX

Sunday, July 20

Streets of Toronto*

FOX

Sunday, July 27

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca+

FOX

Sunday, Aug. 10

Portland International Raceway

FOX

Sunday, Aug. 24

Milwaukee Mile

FOX

Sunday, Aug. 31

Nashville Superspeedway

FOX

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The announce team is still pending, a really big deal IMO.

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Siegel replaces Pourchaire at Arrow McLaren in multiyear deal
Marshall Pruett | June 18, 2024 3:00 PM ET

Nolan Siegel is getting the opportunity of his young lifetime with Arrow McLaren.

The 19-year-old from California, who is stepping into the No. 6 Chevy and just won the LMP2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, has been signed to a multi-year deal. The development with Siegel in the No. 6 also closes one of the high-profile openings on the grid.

The surprising opportunity comes at the expense of Theo Pourchaire, and after Siegel and the HMD Motorsports Indy NXT team came to terms on ending their season and Siegel’s shot at winning the NXT title, in favor of joining Pato O’Ward and fellow Californian Alexander Rossi starting this weekend at their home race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Siegel was scheduled to make one more appearance for Dale Coyne Racing — at Toronto — after driving DCR’s No. 51 Honda at The Thermal Club, Long Beach, and while attempting to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 – but he will pilot the No. 6 Chevy for all 10 remaining races and stay in the car in 2025 and beyond.

“Stability and sustained growth are key to our long-term game plan here, and this is a significant step in that mission,” said team principal Gavin Ward.

“First, I want to thank Theo for his time filling in on the No. 6 car with us in recent weeks. We’ve been working through musical chairs all season, and ultimately, making this change to Nolan now that he’s available gives us the chance to build a foundation for the future. He is a young, talented driver with an immense amount of experience at this stage of his career and we’re excited to continue on the upward journey together.”

Driving for the United Autosports World Endurance Championship team co-owned by McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown and Richard Dean last weekend on his Le Mans debut in LMP2, Siegel not only won the class, but also made a huge impression on Dean.

Renowned for his ability to identify up-and-coming drivers, Dean found a young Lando Norris who was competing in the Ginetta Junior Championship and introduced him to Brown, who took him to Formula 1 with McLaren. After having Siegel in his prototype all last week in France, Siegel received Dean’s full endorsement as a prodigious talent for Brown to seriously consider in IndyCar.

Under the original plan devised for Siegel in 2024, he would vie for the NXT title while participating in four IndyCar races, which would preserve his Rookie of the Year contender status in 2025. But the recent contretemps at Juncos Hollinger Racing with Agustin Canapino and Siegel’s impromptu substitution for the Argentinian at Road America set a new plan in motion.

Talks between the Siegel family and JHR to stay in the No. 78 Chevy ended when the team opted to continue with Canapino, and with post-Road America outreaches made to other teams to search for a race seat, a pre-existing discussion with Arrow McLaren — one where Siegel was being considered along with other drivers for a race seat in 2025 — was resumed and accelerated to the point of signing of a contract to take over the No. 6 car with immediate effect.

“I’m looking forward to jumping right in with the Arrow McLaren team this week and confirming my place in the NTT IndyCar Series in papaya moving forward,” Siegel said. “This is an unexpected jump, but I’m thrilled to be in this position after a rewarding run in the Indy NXT by Firestone series with HMD Motorsports. I am looking forward to this new journey and learning alongside the entire team starting this weekend in my home state.”

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Pourchaire hoping to stay in IndyCar after shock Arrow McLaren exit
Marshall Pruett | June 18, 2024 3:10 PM ET

Arrow McLaren’s season of turmoil and changes with its No. 6 entry continues and potentially ends this weekend as promising Frenchman Theo Pourchaire, the reigning Formula 2 champion who impressed the team in his handful of starts, has been replaced in favor of Nolan Siegel.

The late decision came as a shock to the 20-year-old, whose post to X on Monday of, “Man I can’t believe I’m gonna race on the legendary Laguna Seca this weekend. Can’t wait to be there for the Grand Prix of Monterey” was liked more than 2100 times before he was informed that the team has changed its mind on having him complete the rest of the season in the No. 6 car in order to launch a new multiyear arrangement with Siegel.

Despite missing out on two points-paying races at St. Petersburg and the Indianapolis 500, Pourchaire — a rookie with no experience at any of the tracks, or with the Dallara DW12 IndyCar — has risen to 21st in the championship, just 25 points behind 18th-place Linus Lundqvist from Chip Ganassi Racing, who leads the Rookie of the Year standings.

For Pourchaire, who cleared his calendar to make himself available to Arrow McLaren for the rest of the season, the loss of an IndyCar seat comes with no immediate answers on how or when he’ll continue in the series, but his output to date has not gone unnoticed.

As the news of the change made the rounds Tuesday morning, three prominent teams sought and received Pourchaire’s contact information to discuss future opportunities. Although Pourchaire declined to comment on the matter when reached by RACER, he did confirm his interest in staying in IndyCar and racing for a new team.

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At least one McLaren didn't choke today: