Consolidated opinion is difficult to marshal in racing, whether the topic is how best to go fast or how best to take the Verizon IndyCar Series into what competitors insist is a dynamic new generation.
But in the weeks before NBC Sports Group was announced today as the sole telecast platform for INDYCAR beginning in 2019, there was unanimity of opinion about what the television package should be: The series should have one carrier and be on broadcast television as much as possible.
The new NBC Sports deal, which increases to eight the number of races on over-the-air broadcast NBC and the remainder on cable network NBCSN, therefore left the paddock collectively pleased.
“As an industry, we are very fortunate to have the NBC Sports Group grow their presence and coverage of INDYCAR racing and really invest in the future of the sport,” team owner Roger Penske said. “We believe there is a great deal of positive momentum in the Verizon IndyCar Series right now, from the development of the new race car, to the very talented group of young drivers and new teams coming into the sport this season. With the announcement of the enhanced broadcast partnership with NBC, it certainly adds to the excitement for the future.
“We know that the ways our fans are watching races and viewing INDYCAR content is rapidly changing, so staying ahead of the curve and the developing technology with our partners is important to the growth of our sport.”
Defending series champion Josef Newgarden, one of Penske’s drivers, declared, “It’s exciting to know that our industry is aligned with a partner that is focused on the future and growing our sport.”
As part of that stated goal, all INDYCAR competition televised on NBC or NBCSN will also be streamed through the NBC Sports app and on NBCSports.com. Any practice or qualifying sessions not televised will be available through NBC Sports Gold, the subscription service that offers packages for other sports including Premier League soccer and U.S. track and field events.
A personable and marketable spokesperson leveraged often by both INDYCAR and Honda, driver James Hinchcliffe understands necessity of expanding the series’ reach.
“As drivers, we're out there risking our lives to put on a good show. The more people that get to see it, get entertained by it, the better it is for us,” said the driver of the No. 5 Arrow Electronics Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda. “As athletes, we're all individual brands in and of ourselves. Getting ourselves in front of more people, it raises our value to our current partners and potential partners. From every element, this is a huge win across the board.”
With athletes shrouded in helmets during competition, connection with consumers – new and longstanding – remains a major facet of broadcasting racing. There, team co-owner Bobby Rahal said, NBC will serve INDYCAR well.
“The quality of the NBC broadcasts has gotten better and better over the last several years,” said Rahal, the 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner and co-owner of the two-car team that features his son Graham and 2017 Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato as drivers. “They do a great job of providing interesting and entertaining content for the viewers and I think that will only continue to grow with the relationship going forward. That type of storytelling is also what helps bring new fans to the sport."
The move to NBC also will mark a major break with tradition, in that the Indianapolis 500 has been broadcast on ABC since 1965. ABC and its ESPN networks have telecast all or some Verizon IndyCar Series races since 1996.
We also need to thank ABC and ESPN for all their terrific coverage over the years,” Penske acknowledged. “The ABC network helped bring some of the most memorable moments in racing to life – including many of our team’s Indianapolis 500 victories – and we appreciate all of their hard work and passion for Indy car racing.”
Team owner Chip Ganassi was among the most vocal about the series finding a singular partner with broadcast capabilities. In an interview before the March 11 season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, he also spoke of the Indianapolis 500 reclaiming its mantel as the premier American classic in the month of May.
Interestingly now, NBC Sports will broadcast both the Indy 500 and its equine equivalent in terms of prestige and history, the Kentucky Derby, as part of its “Championship Season.” Ganassi, who spends much time espousing his affinity for “winners” on Twitter, seemed pleased with the announcement of the NBC deal, tweeting: “BOOM!!!! This is BIG!!!!”
Bigger still, considering the uniformity of opinion.