IndyCar closing in on post-2018 TV plan

The Verizon IndyCar Series is growing more confident in where its television contract negotiations could lead once its current deals with ABC and NBC end after the 2018 season.

IndyCar CEO Mark Miles has been vocal regarding his desire to consolidate the series' presence on a single TV network, rather than split a portion of the calendar between two companies as it has done for many years. The emerging popularity of live streaming and subscription-based digital platform like Amazon Prime and Hulu have also changed IndyCar's outlook since its current contracts were signed. And there's the final component to consider with the series' renewed interest in growing its international presence.

Altogether, Miles and his executive team have three broadcast elements to resolve, and based on the current progress, news of where IndyCar will be shown could come sooner than later.

"We've always said end of the year, but maybe we'll have a better feeling for where we'll be by Sonoma," Miles told RACER. "Realistically, I'm thinking between Sonoma and the end of the year to get the domestic piece done. The international piece might take longer."

Related Stories

So far, discussions with IndyCar's ongoing TV partners and new talks with digital outlets have exceeded Miles' expectations.

"Broadly, we're encouraged," he said. "There are multiple parties we're in meeting with, both linear and over the top, so we're going through the process and talking with everybody to see what packages interest people the most at what level. IndyCar is moving forward with momentum – and especially in motorsports, that's not to be taken for granted."

In those meetings, Miles says he's been met with enthusiasm for IndyCar's unique product. Fluctuating Nielsen ratings, he says, have not been a hindrance at the negotiating table.

"That's true about our racing; it's understood to be exciting and unpredictable, which is a great television product," he added. "On the ratings, even though we'll probably be down a single-figure number this year, over three years, it's been really good, and since last year if you make a graph where you chart our audience over other prime-time sports, we're holding our own. We're in a good place.

"I was looking at some international social traffic with the release of our 2018 bodywork, and European fans have responded heavily, even more than Formula 1. There are a lot of forms of interest that we monitor, not just TV ratings, and we have a reason to feel confident in where IndyCar is heading."