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SUNDAY’S INDIANAPOLIS 500 ON NBC DELIVERS HIGHEST VIEWERSHIP IN FIVE YEARS

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“Greatest Spectacle in Racing” Averages 5.581 Million Viewers, Up 51% vs. 2020 and Up 2% vs. 2019

Race Peaked at 7.129 Million Viewers as Helio Castroneves Took Checkered Flag

Indy 500 is Most-Watched Sporting Event of the Weekend

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Off to Best Six-Race Start in Four Years

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 2, 2021 – Sunday’s 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge ranks as the most-watched Indy 500 in five years averaging a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 5.581 million viewers on NBC — up 51% vs. last year (3.692 million), which was run on Aug. 23 due to the pandemic; and up 2% from NBC’s inaugural broadcast of the race in 2019 (5.489 million).

“The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” (12:48-3:57 pm ET) peaked at 7.129 million TV-only viewers from 3:15-3:30 p.m. ET as Helio Castroneves outdueled Alex Palou in the final laps to win his record-tying fourth Indy 500. The race finished with a 3.15 household rating.

Additional viewership highlights for this year’s Indy 500:

  • Is NBC Sports’ most-watched IndyCar race to date.
  • Ranks as the most-watched sports event of the weekend across all networks.
  • Stands as NBC’s most-watched Sunday afternoon sports event in 16 months, since a Seattle-Philadelphia NFL Wild Card matchup with on Jan. 5, 2020 (36.0 million TAD).
  • Across NBC Sports streaming platforms, this year’s race ranks as the second most-streamed IndyCar race ever with an Average Minute Audience (AMA) of 34,500 viewers, behind only the 2019 Indy 500 (45,600).

Through the first six races of the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES on NBC, NBCSN, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app are averaging a TAD of 1.926 million viewers, the best six-race start to a season in four years (2.046 million; 4 ABC, 2 NBCSN) and up 28% vs. last season’s comparable races (1.504 million viewers).

Following are the Top 10 local markets for the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500:

Rank Market HH Rating
1 Indianapolis 21.3
T2 Dayton 8.1
T2 Cincinnati 8.1
T4 Ft. Myers 6.3
T4 Louisville 6.3
6 Knoxville 6.0
T7 Nashville 5.4
T7 Columbus 5.4
9 Hartford 5.1
10 Greenville 5.0

–NBC SPORTS–

HELIO CASTRONEVES WINS THE 105th RUNNING OF THE INDIANAPOLIS 500 ON NBC – NOTES AND QUOTES

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“Spider-Man is back at the Speedway!” – Leigh Diffey

“Tom Brady won a Super Bowl, Phil (Mickelson) won The PGA…the old guys still got it, kicking the young guys’ butts, teaching them a lesson.” – Helio Castroneves on His Record-Tying Fourth Indy 500 Victory

“The youngsters were playing checkers today and Helio was playing chess.” – Paul Tracy

“This is his everything. It’s his Christmas, his New Year’s, and even his Halloween when he gets to play Spider-Man and climb the fence.” – Townsend Bell

“The headline this year — simple — the fans, they are back! 135,000 strong, the largest post-pandemic sporting event anywhere in the world.” – Mike Tirico

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 30, 2021 – NBC Sports presented exclusive coverage of the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500 this afternoon on NBC from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as Helio Castroneves won “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” for a record-tying fourth time in his career, outdueling Alex Palou and 2019 Indianapolis 500 champion Simon Pagenaud, who rounded out the podium.

NBC Sports’ lead INDYCAR commentary team of Leigh Diffey (play-by-play) and analysts Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy called NBC Sports’ broadcast of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on NBC, alongside pit reporters Marty Snider, Kelli Stavast, Dave Burns and Kevin Lee.

NBC Sports host Mike Tirico anchored coverage alongside analyst and former INDYCAR driver Danica Patrick. INDYCAR rookie and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and NBC Sports’ Steve Letarte served as Peacock Pit Box analysts. NBC Sports’ Rutledge Wood also contributed to the network’s Indy 500 presentation by reporting on-site at IMS, while Jac Collinsworth served as host of pre-race coverage on NBCSN.

Post-Race

Castroneves to Snider on his record-tying fourth Indy 500 victory: “It’s not the end, it’s the beginning…I don’t know if it’s a good comparison, but Tom Brady won a Super Bowl, Phil (Mickelson) won The PGA and now here you go. The old guys still got it, kicking the young guys’ butts, teaching them a lesson.”

Castroneves to Snider: “This stage is absolutely incredible. I love Indianapolis. The fans, they give me energy!”

Castroneves: “I only did two races this year and I won two. I think I still got it, don’t you think?”

Diffey on the celebration: “This might be the longest post-race celebration in Indy 500 history. But you know what, it should be. He’s part of the four-time winners’ club.”

Bell: “This guy has been in the sport for so long and when you’re in the sport that long, you’ve worked with so many people and accepted help from so many people that are a part of the sport. He’s a fan favorite and he’s a sport favorite — even on competing teams, people at the track, sponsors that he used to work with, everyone is going to embrace the newly-minted four-time champ. He can take as long as he wants (to celebrate). He’s earned it.”

Tracy: “There’s no doubt now that you go for the ‘Drive for Five,’ right?”

Bell: “Oh yeah. This guy will be doing this — I think we’ll be seeing him into his 50s. He’s lost none of the enthusiasm. He has all of the ability and this great team behind him now — and the fans have always loved Helio Castroneves.”

Bell on Mario Andretti kissing Castroneves on the head: “He just got blessed by the Grandmaster.”

Patrick: “Helio is the kind of guy that you want to be around. He is always that happy, he’s always that friendly — he climbs the fence and everyone just gathers around! You can see how much everyone loves him on pit road. I welled up (watching him celebrate), I could probably choke up right now.”

Tracy: “The youngsters were playing checkers today and Helio was playing chess.”

Tracy on Castroneves returning to a full-time INDYCAR ride: “Guarantee you he wants to be in the car full-time. He deserves to be in the car full-time…he didn’t have an opportunity when he got let go by Penske out of the INDYCAR program…it was just a fizzled-out ending. Now he can write his own ticket.”

Diffey on Castroneves: “They say enthusiasm and passion always win out. You’re seeing it right now.”

Race

Diffey on Castrnoneves’ victory: “Welcome to the four-time club, Helio Castroneves. Spider-Man is back at the Speedway!”

Patrick on racing strategy at the Indy 500: “In Indy, as I’ve experienced and said, there are so many strategies that can play out. Whether you are Penske, starting in the back and looking for someone to make it happen or whether you’re a driver in an accident that puts you to the back of the field, now you’re looking to see ‘how can I transition this into an alternative strategy that honestly has a great chance of winning?’”

Patrick on fuel strategy around lap 100: “Laps have been fairly slow – 212, 213 mph. From the leader back, everyone knows how important it is to save fuel.”

Bell on Graham Rahal’s accident on lap 119: “Graham cannot believe what happened. He had the car and position, they saved the fuel — just an absolute gut-punch in the biggest race in the world.”

Bell on Scott Dixon’s car stalling on pit road on lap 36: “The most painful sight in pit lane is what we just saw. The pace car and field lapping Scott Dixon — disaster for the 9 (car).”

Tracy on Stefan Wilson pitstop wreck on lap 32: “As these cars come down from speed (onto pit lane), there’s virtually no downforce at 100 miles-per-hour, you hit the brakes, you downshift and it locks the rears up and immediately turned him sideways.”

Pre-Race

Tracy on Helio Castroneves: “I almost look at Helio Castroneves as the Tom Brady of Motorsports. He’s timeless, he knows how to win and get the job done…at Team Penske, they put him out to pasture earlier than he wanted…he wasn’t ready to leave. They pushed him off for a young guy.”

Bell: “He’s an ageless wonder…in my book, Helio Castroneves is still a kid. This is his everything here. It’s his Christmas, his New Year’s, and even his Halloween, when he gets to play Spider-Man and climb the fence when he wins.”

Tirico on the atmosphere at IMS with fans: “The headline this year — simple — the fans, they are back! 135,000 strong, the largest post-pandemic sporting event anywhere in the world.”

Collinsworth on his first Indy 500 experience: “I’ve never been to a sporting event that’s as connected to one community. The roots run deep here…everyone can’t wait to tell you their favorite Indy 500 story.”

Patrick on the impact of Paretta Autosport: “There might be a girl in the stands, watching at home, see Beth (Paretta) as an owner, Simona (De Silvestro) as a driver, these women going over the wall with their braids, and that might be them someday. That’s why this is such an important and inspirational story.”

Pre-race coverage included:

  • NBC Sports analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s sit-down interview with Marco Andretti, who competed in his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES race this season in the Indy 500;
  • NBC Sports’ Tim Layden narrated an essay on the Wheldon family – Susie Wheldon and sons, Sebastian and Oliver, who are developmental drivers for the Andretti Autosport team – remembering their husband and father Dan Wheldon, who tragically passed away in a racing accident 10 years ago after winning the Indy 500 in 2011;
  • Feature on Paretta Autosport, a racing team that is 75% female, including its owner, Beth Paretta, and driver, Simona De Silvestro, who became the first female driver-owner duo to qualify for the Indy 500;
  • NBC Sports’ Rutledge Wood speaking with David Letterman, co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, whose team won the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 with Takuma Sato;
  • An introduction to select Indy 500 fans who have a special bond and connection to the Greatest Spectacle in Racing and what the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500 means personally to them in Faces of the 500 segments;
  • Reports from Rutledge Wood and Jac Collinsworth around IMS, taking in the sights and sounds from the approximately 135,000 spectators who will be in attendance.

This Is Us actor Milo Ventimiglia served as honorary starter and waved the green flag, while country music star Jimmie Allenperformed the National Anthem ahead of the race.

–NBC SPORTS–

LEIGH DIFFEY, TOWNSEND BELL, PAUL TRACY AND SAM FLOOD PREVIEW 105TH RUNNING OF THE INDIANAPOLIS 500 ON NBC

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“To get the sports world looking full with folks in the stands celebrating this great American tradition on Memorial Day weekend, we couldn’t be prouder to bring that to America.” – Sam Flood on this Year’s Indianapolis 500

“We get this unbelievable gift of calling the biggest race in the world when the championship and the series is arguably at its strongest point.” – Leigh Diffey

“It’s a juggling act. It’s a three-hour, five-balls-in-the-air juggling act to win.” – Paul Tracy on the Uniqueness of the Indy 500

105th Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge – Sunday at 11 a.m. ET on NBC; Pre-Race Coverage of “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” Begins at 9 a.m. ET on NBCSN

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 27, 2021 – NBC Sports’ lead INDYCAR commentary team of Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell, and Paul Tracy, as well as executive producer Sam Flood, previewed this Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 on a media conference call yesterday afternoon.

NBC Sports presents the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge from Indianapolis Motor Speedway this Sunday, May 30, at 11 a.m. ET on NBC. Six-time INDYCAR champion and 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner Scott Dixon won the pole position and will lead the field to the green flag for this year’s Indy 500. Race day coverage begins at 9 a.m. ET on NBCSN.

Following are excerpts from the call. Click here for a full transcript.

Sam Flood on this year’s edition of the Indianapolis 500: “We’re really excited to be covering this spectacle, the biggest crowd we’ve had in this country since COVID started, probably the biggest crowd ever assembled since the COVID crisis got going. To get the sports world looking full with folks in the stands celebrating this great American tradition on Memorial Day weekend, we couldn’t be prouder to bring that to America.”

Leigh Diffey: “I’m more excited and looking forward to this one perhaps even more so than our maiden one in 2019. We’re back on Memorial Day weekend. The fans are back. We get this unbelievable gift of calling the biggest race in the world when the championship and the series is arguably at its strongest point.”

Paul Tracy on the uniqueness of the Indy 500: “It’s a juggling act. It’s a three-hour, five-balls-in-the-air juggling act to win.”

Townsend Bell: “We have to remember this is the only race in the world in terms of the top level where you’re going to grid three-wide, 11 rows deep, fire it off into Turn One at these incredible speeds.”

Tracy on Qualifying Weekend: “We truly last weekend had a treat of seeing the fastest field ever assembled…It just shows now how competitive this field has become and how important it is to have every I dotted and every T crossed when you come to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. If you even just hiccup, you’re not going to make the field.”

Bell on the struggles of Team Penske during Qualifying Weekend: “Boy, doesn’t that train up for an unbelievable Indy 500 to have the most successful team in the history of the race starting mid to deep in the pack with four drivers and four cars that in practice look to be better than anybody…I think we’re in for a real treat.”

***

NBC Sports will present eight hours of live coverage from Indianapolis Motor Speedway on race day, beginning with pre-race coverage at 9 a.m. ET on NBCSN. Coverage will shift to NBC for five hours of coverage at 11 a.m. ET, with the green flag of The Greatest Spectacle in Racing slated to wave at approximately 12:30 p.m. ET. Following the conclusion of the race, NBCSN will provide an hour of post-race coverage at 4 p.m. ET.

For the third consecutive year, the Indianapolis 500 will be called by NBC Sports’ lead INDYCAR team of Leigh Diffey (play-by-play), Townsend Bell (analyst) and Paul Tracy (analyst). Marty Snider, Kelli Stavast, Dave Burns and Kevin Lee will serve as pit reporters.

NBC Sports’ comprehensive Indy 500 commentary team includes host Mike Tirico and analyst and former INDYCAR driver Danica Patrick, who became the first woman to lead laps and earn a top-five finish in the Indianapolis 500 in 2005. INDYCAR rookie and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson will serve as a Peacock Pit Box analyst alongside NBC Sports’ Steve Letarte. NBC Sports motorsports reporter Rutledge Wood returns for the third straight year to provide on-site reports around Indianapolis Motor Speedway, while NBC Sports’ Jac Collinsworth will make his Indy 500 debut when he serves as host of pre-race coverage on NBCSN.

Earlier this week, NBC Sports announced comprehensive programming around the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, including pre-race coverage highlights. Click here for details.

This week’s coverage from Indianapolis Motor Speedway begins tomorrow with the final practice session on Carb Day on NBCSN and Peacock at 11 a.m. ET. Below is this weekend’s Indianapolis 500 coverage across NBC, NBCSN and Peacock:

Date Coverage Network/Streaming Time (ET)
Fri., May 28 Indianapolis 500 Carb Day NBCSN, Peacock 11 a.m.
Sun., May 30 Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge Pre-Race NBCSN 9 a.m.
  105th Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge NBC 11 a.m.
  Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge Post-Race NBCSN 4 p.m.

 

–NBC SPORTS–

TRANSCRIPT – 105TH RUNNING OF THE INDIANAPOLIS 500 MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL

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Wednesday, May 26, 2021

Leigh Diffey

Townsend Bell

Paul Tracy

Sam Flood

THE MODERATOR: Thank you and good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for joining us today for our NBC Sports Indianapolis 500 conference call. In a moment we’ll be joined by our lead INDYCAR team of Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy, as well as NBC Sports executive producer Sam Flood.

Sunday’s race will be NBC Sports’ third broadcast of the Indy 500 and will feature roughly eight hours of coverage. Pre-race coverage begins at 9 a.m. eastern on NBCSN, followed by more pre-race coverage at 11 a.m. eastern on NBC. There will also be an hour-long post-race show at roughly 4 p.m. eastern.

We will begin with some opening comments. First up is NBC Sports executive producer Sam Flood.

SAM FLOOD: We’re really excited to be covering this spectacle, the biggest crowd we’ve had in this country since COVID started, probably the biggest crowd ever assembled since the COVID crisis got going. To get the sports world looking full with folks in the stands celebrating this great American tradition on Memorial Day weekend, we couldn’t be prouder to bring that to America.

Our producer Rene Hatlelid is really on top of this, has mapped out great content through the whole day starting at 9 a.m. on NBCSN, 11:00 a.m. on Big Bird NBC. They’ve got a drone flying around for us getting the great shots. The only thing faster than the drone is Jimmie Johnson, our new guest analyst for the show. Jimmie was really engaged this past weekend, hardworking, showing his personality. Gets to work with Danica, Mike Tirico and the rest of the crew.

We couldn’t be happier and more excited about an event like this on a beautiful weekend coming up, Indianapolis, as the world reopens particularly with an event with this many folks celebrating.

With that, I hand it off to the man who calls anything that is a race, announced earlier today that Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play voice of track and field in the Olympics, but is home now calling INDYCAR and the Indy 500 for the third time.

LEIGH DIFFEY: Good afternoon, everyone. I was reminded just so harshly the other day how fast and exciting these cars are when I came in for the final couple of days of practice. I drove through the turn two tunnel, I stopped my rental car, got out near the museum there, watching the cars go through one, down the short chute to two. It was such a wonderful reminder of how extraordinary this place is with those cars.

We’ve been here for the last two weeks. But from watching them go around the Grand Prix circuit, standing there and watching the brutal speed and sound, then to look up and see some people sitting in the turn one grandstands, it just kind of felt right. It felt fantastic. To see the hubbub in the garage area, Gasoline Alley, the concession area, to see people back, people happy to be back.

I think I’m more excited and looking forward to this one perhaps even more so than our maiden one in 2019. We’re back on Memorial Day weekend. The fans are back. We get this unbelievable gift of calling the biggest race in the world when the championship and the series is arguably at its strongest point. Five different winners in five races.

You have the superstar veteran names blended with these exciting new young guys who aren’t afraid to do anything. I just think we have this amazing gift right now and we’re not going to squander it, we’re going to cherish it, give you guys and all of our viewers a fabulous Sunday afternoon of INDYCAR racing.

Townsend, you’re ready to roll, mate. Take it away.

TOWNSEND BELL: I’m glad you mentioned speed because over the last few years I’ve been encouraging INDYCAR to continue to push the limits. Ever since I was a kid at 11 years old, 1986, going to the Indy 500, the Greatest Spectacle in Racing was built on one single ethos, which is how fast can the cars go, how fast can these drivers push these cars, what kind of limits can they break with new track records.

I’m pleased that this year is the fastest field in Indy 500 history, at over 230 miles an hour average for the entire field from qualifying. It was an electric day on Pole Day there at Indianapolis with the Fast Nine shootout. Scott Dixon getting his first pole position in two years.

So exciting, as Leigh said, to see this wave of new young talent that has come in with incredible skill, bravery, and an amazing ability at such a young age to kind of guide these missiles to record speed.

To see (Rinus) VeeKay go out and do what he did in Chevrolet, Colton Herta answer him. VeeKay is 20 years old. Colton Herta is 21 years old. You thought when Colton ran, what a magic lap that was, hanging it out there. We all thought at that time it was probably pole. Lo and behold, here comes Scott Dixon at 40 plus years of age, the veteran with all the experience, but still all of the courage to put it on the line was a great story.

Super pumped to get back there. Glad the cars are breaking records. When you talk about one INDYCAR by itself, it’s something special to see it and feel it, like Leigh pulling over and watching and listening. We have to remember this is the only race in the world in terms of the top level where you’re going to grid three-wide, 11 rows deep, fire it off into turn one at these incredible speeds.

Super pumped to get out there. As long as Paul Tracy doesn’t interrupt me, we should be great. Paul, over to you.

PAUL TRACY: I have to reiterate everything that Townsend just said. We truly last weekend had a treat of seeing the fastest field ever assembled. I think lost in that, in all the excitement of that, we had a David versus Goliath monumental battle between Penske Racing and A.J. Foyt and R.C. Enerson, the lone one-car team, trying to topple the giant of Penske Racing and force them out of the field. It was truly something to watch.

It just shows now how competitive this field has become and how important it is to have every I dotted and every T crossed when you come to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. If you even just hiccup, you’re not going to make the field.

When you look at a guy like Will Power, who is arguably one of the fastest INDYCAR drivers that has ever sat in an INDYCAR, just look at the amount of pole positions he has scored over his career and wins, championships. For him to be hanging it out there, banging into the wall trying to out-qualify R.C. Enerson was a sight to behold. It was truly nothing like I’ve seen him have to go through because it always comes so easy for him to score these poles. It just seemed so effortless.

For the race, what I’m looking at is Scott Dixon is obviously the man to beat. He’s the odds-on favorite to win the race. Clearly he has shown that. But he’s got a tightrope to walk. He’s got a seventh championship on the line. Is he willing, a double points race, to put it all on the line for an Indy 500 win and forego the championship points lead if he gets into a wreck with somebody or gets into a situation? He is so good at managing his overall year-long program. Is he willing to put it all on the line for the 500? He hasn’t delivered a 500 in many years, but he certainly delivered a lot of championships in between.

When it comes down to it, there’s guys like (Alexander) Rossi, (Ryan) Hunter-Reay, they’re ready to kill themselves for a race win. When it comes down to it, is Dixon willing to do that? I feel Rossi and Hunter-Reay are ready to do it.

Sam, not the easiest question. I’m going to try to ask it in a way I might be able to get an answer from you. It is a contract year with NBC Sports and INDYCAR. There has been different reports and speculation out there that says NBC Sports is out of the running on this. I’m wondering what you can or cannot say. Does NBC Sports want to be back with INDYCAR?

SAM FLOOD: We love INDYCAR. We love the Indy 500. We love the partnership we have. We hope we can continue that partnership. So whatever reports are out there, all I know is, we are fans of this relationship and want it to continue. I’m on the content side of the business, and the commerce side of the business has to navigate that side of the equation.

As partnership and as the growth we’ve meant to the sport, working with the team at INDYCAR, we’re really proud of all that’s been accomplished over these years and hope it continues in the future. That’s the way we proceed into this season, planning on being partners for a long time to come.

I know all three of you love the series. I know what it means to you, that you take great care in presenting the series professionally and respectfully, showing it for the strong series it is. What does it mean for the three of you to be part of this series and to be the storytellers of the series?

LEIGH DIFFEY: That’s a great question. To me I came to America for INDYCAR, so it means everything to me. To use the old adage: I’m living the dream.

The team that Sam and his staff have put together for us to blend, one of the most common statements made to us by fans or even people within the industry, they say, Sounds like you guys are having a lot of fun. It’s true, we are. It’s not manufactured. We treat the environment that we work in seriously, but with flashes of humor. That comes throughout on the air and through our delivery.

We take it seriously because it is serious, but we’re also in the entertainment business. I’m pretty sure you’re going to get a similar answer from Townsend and Paul. It means the world to us.

TOWNSEND BELL: It’s a privilege. The privilege is no greater than when we go to Indy this weekend to cover this race. I didn’t know what to expect back in 2019 when we had a chance to call our first Indy 500. What I realized in that moment is that the race and our job to tell the stories is one of celebrating. I think the passion that not only the three of us have in the booth for the sport, but the 250,000, 300,000 fans that gather with us there.

I’ve always felt like Indy is just that one big celebration where, sure, there’s fans that are rooting for different drivers, but I think it’s different than a Super Bowl or a national championship college football game where you’re either a red team or a blue team. At Indy it just feels like it’s more of a religious experience where everybody is celebrating speed and the glory of going after the biggest prize in racing.

It’s a tremendous honor. I think we all bring something pretty unique to the table. I think even our opening remarks, just look at the insight that Paul brings. He just brought up something about Scott Dixon that I hadn’t thought about. Paul has said that on the broadcast, said, Hey, think about Dixon racing for points versus an overall Indy 500 win. That’s something that we could debate whether that’s the case, would he go down that path. I think people enjoy the different perspectives there.

I enjoy the fact that I hear about these things and am surprised by some of those insights as they’re happening in real-time. It’s not like we rehearsed this out. It’s a stream of consciousness that we’re proud to deliver, hope we get to do for many years to come.

PAUL TRACY: I guess when I stopped driving and I wasn’t around for a while, I didn’t realize that once I got back into the sport with NBC when they had me come onboard with them, I didn’t realize how much I missed the camaraderie that I had with the drivers. I didn’t have a lot of that when I was racing because I was so competitive and I was so fiery. I kind of kept guys as an enemy.

But as I’ve grown into this broadcasting role, I’ve become very good friends with a lot of the drivers. They’ll express to me a side of things that they typically wouldn’t say to a journalist or a pit reporter, will talk about things. They let me on the inside of things. Some things I can’t say on air and some things they’re okay with me saying on air. I really enjoy that part of it.

Also being around the fans. When Townsend and I walk around the paddock together, go to lunch, the amount of people that come up to us, Diffey as well, say, Man, you guys are the best, the best team ever that’s been calling races. We hear that at every single race that we go to, every single market.

Sam has put together a fantastic team of people that are all really good friends. I think we do an amazing job at putting out a product, putting people on the inside of the product and giving them the information that they typically wouldn’t get anywhere else in any other sport.

Do you think anybody could do a better job than the job NBC Sports is doing with INDYCAR?

SAM FLOOD: The bar is very, very, very, very high.

Mr. Flood, to have the race from a TV standpoint back on its traditional date, how important is that rating-wise? I know there was a little bit of disappointment with the ratings from last August, the fact that maybe a lot of casual sports viewers didn’t realize the Indy 500 was happening that weekend.

SAM FLOOD: I don’t think that’s specific just to the Indy 500. It’s the way the mismatch of the sports calendar last year was very different. The Kentucky Derby was run on a different day, the NBA Finals, the Stanley Cup Finals, all on different days. All these sports had different time frames. The comparatives aren’t real.

We don’t worry about that. We worry about what’s in front of us, which is the time to have an incredible Indy 500 with the world coming back to normal, fans in the stands, and the story of the race is great. Even better yet might be the story of the people that finally get to get back into that environment and celebrate this great American tradition.

Have you seen a realignment of data from what you saw with this year’s Kentucky Derby? Did it compare favorably to other May Derbys and expect the same thing for the Indy 500?

SAM FLOOD: I can say the Kentucky Derby number was up dramatically. Obviously 2019 for the Derby is tough to compare because it has the controversial finish that extended the drama for 22 minutes after the finish as they decided to throw a horse out of the race for the first time ever. For that reason, the number was exceptionally high. But our Derby number from the first Saturday in May was up in that stratosphere.

History tells us that there are good numbers out there. As we all know, there are a million factors coming into ratings. Weather is a big part of it.

You’re in the storytelling business. You brought in some additional storytellers to tell the story this weekend. Jimmie Johnson is an INDYCAR rookie, but of course he’s a seven-time NASCAR champion. You have Steve Letarte, Dale Jr. is going to be back, Danica. Do you believe having a broad-based group of storytellers from the INDYCAR side, the NASCAR side, helps bring in a bigger audience?

SAM FLOOD: Our goal is to serve the fans, and we’ve got a group of talent that serves the fans exceptionally well.

The one thing I’ll tell you is the three gentlemen on the phone with us right now call the race and have exceptional ability to see what’s happening before it happens and tell you why it matters. Then we’re going to add context with a group of talent we have in and around them.

Nothing at NBC Sports is a bigger message that it’s a big event than Mike Tirico as the host. That lets the world know this is big-time. Mike is going to have some fun people to play with and work with over the weekend. We’re thrilled.

Our lineup tells you how important it is to us and this company.

Sam, obviously you produced the show last year without any fans in the stands. You’re coming back to full stands. How will the fans play a role from the actual visual part of the broadcast after not being there since 2019?

SAM FLOOD: You obviously shoot the race a little bit differently. The spectacle is back. Last year, empty stands all around the racetrack is a very different visual. You could have the greatest football game or the greatest basketball game, if there are empty seats, it’s not an event, it’s a game.

When you have a packed house or a very full house at a car race, it becomes an event again. It’s more than a race. Our job is to lean into that, celebrate that. Some of the content in the pre-race show is going to be looking at the people who are so passionate about this event that aren’t necessarily sitting in a driver’s seat, but their passion is sitting in the stands outside turn two, or down the backstretch, wherever they might be, what is their preferred angle of watching this race. We’re going to tell that story and show how special it is to be back home.

Do you know the applications of where that drone will be and how much that drone will add to the broadcast this year?

SAM FLOOD: It’s always a process. We’ve had great success with drones on other events. Sean Owens is this exceptional young director. He’s got great ideas. He’s going to work it in and make sure the camera has the quality and the look that takes us to the next level.

The one hard part about drones is they’re not up in the air for a very long time, so they’re up in spurts. He’s got a time when he wants to do it. Does he want to do it for a restart? Does he want to do it for pit stops? When do you want to utilize it? They’re up, then got to come down and re-power before they go up again.

It’s a bit of a math equation. No one said the directors have to know math, but Sean is going to have to know some math on Sunday to know how he wants to deploy it the right time in the race.

It certainly is going to be beneficial building the hype.

What would a Scott Dixon win this weekend do to further cement his legacy?

LEIGH DIFFEY: I think that it adds to the story, like it adds to his incredible story. He was so mad last year with the way that the race finished, that he was denied a chance to beat (Takuma) Sato and get his second win.

Across the spectrum of his career, he doesn’t rate last year when he won his sixth championship as his best year clearly because he didn’t win the Indy 500. He rates 2008 as his best career year. That’s how much it means to him.

I think it just elevates him further in the sport’s history. I think it would be appropriate if he won. He’s such a good steward of the sport. He’s such a great ambassador of the sport. In my opinion, he deserves to be a multi-time 500 winner.

TOWNSEND BELL: I’ll add to that and say I think if you look at the multi-time winners at Indy, (AJ) Foyt, (Rick) Mears, (Al) Unser, (Helio) Castroneves, et cetera, Dario (Franchitti), Dixon with one, that doesn’t seem fair or appropriate when positioned next to his six championships and potentially a seventh this year where he’s well on his way at least in terms of the first five races.

I go back to Paul’s point earlier. I think it’s going to be fascinating to see how he decides down the stretch of the Indy 500 to play his hand. Last year the strong indication was that you obviously had to make your move early, like Sato did. It wasn’t going to be a last-lap thing.

Based on what we’ve seen in practice, it seems like that is still going to be the case. INDYCAR has increased the race-ability of the car with some of the aero changes. But the last 10 or 15 laps in a tire stint are difficult, the field tends to spread out. If there’s a restart in the last 20 or 30 laps, it’s going to create huge urgency to make moves. There’s going to be some guys willing to take some huge risks.

How big of a risk is Scott willing to take, knowing what he learned last year, a painful lesson about Sato making the move early enough, Scott just couldn’t really counter, couldn’t get close enough to respond before the final caution, versus wanting to drive for championship points, extend his current lead in the championship. I think that will be fascinating to watch.

No question the lessons from last year, what all the drivers have learned this year in practice so far, is going to put a huge priority on those first probably five laps on a restart. That creates a lot of drama and a lot of high risk for the drivers. That’s where it’s fun to watch.

PAUL TRACY: I’m thinking of how to put my answer to that. A second Indy 500, a seventh championship, what it does to change his status in the sport? I don’t really think it changes too much, other than he’s going for these individual glories as a driver and competitor. There’s no denying his level of talent, his level of commitment, his level of fitness.

But does it change his perspective from the outside looking in? I don’t know. He’s the type of character, and this is no disrespect to Scott, I think he is one of the most talented race drivers that has ever sat in a race car, but if you sent him out in downtown at any race we go to, people don’t really recognize him out on the street because he’s so understated, mellow, not controversial. He blends into the crowd.

From a sporting perspective, from a general public perspective, I don’t know how much it changes if he wins another Indy 500 and another championship. Certainly within the sport, there’s no denying that he is going to go down as one of the greatest drivers of all time. Whether that resonates with the casual fan, I don’t know.

Do you think there are any concerns with Team Penske thus far this season? What are your expectations for the team on Sunday?

TOWNSEND BELL: Yeah, I think there are concerns. Team Penske has not won a race in the first five races of this season. The last time that happened was 2013. 18 Indy 500 wins, they’re head and shoulders above any other team in the sport. The qualifying performance was a shock to everyone, including their drivers, and I’m sure ownership as well.

The crazy thing about the last week is that if you watched Peacock in the 40-some hours that we broadcast live during the week, for each practice day, certainly Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of practice, with a ton of laps run, a bunch of group running and race simulation running from the field, I would say 60% of our praise was heaped on how strong the Team Penske cars were in race configuration, how excellent the balance looked, how close their drivers could trail another car in turbulent air. We were surprised as anybody to see them struggle in qualifying trim.

But, boy, doesn’t that train up for an unbelievable Indy 500 to have the most successful team in the history of the race starting mid to deep in the pack with four drivers and four cars that in practice look to be better than anybody.

It’s almost like an accidental reverse grid or something in that there’s these incredible race cars that are going to be fun to watch. They certainly don’t appear like they’re going to finish anywhere near mid to tail end of the pack. They have a lot of great cars and drivers to pass. The excitement will be there from the very beginning with those four drivers.

I think we’re in for a real treat. I hate to say it, but I think we’re lucky to have them struggle in qualifying because they’re going forward, for sure.

LEIGH DIFFEY: I think the interesting thing, too, is when was the last time you saw Will Power have that look of shock and disbelief? He’s normally got those piercing eyes on his target. He looked like a deer in the headlights. He was seriously concerned, knew the threat was real he wasn’t going to make the field. That’s one side of it.

The other side, too, is their qualifying performance this year very much mirrored what occurred last year. Josef Newgarden was not far away from those top four in last year’s race. Have Dixon and Sato swapping for the lead, Rahal right behind them, Santino Ferrucci. The next one in the field was Josef Newgarden.

Townsend’s point is very accurate. I think it’s going to be spectacular to watch and come through.

PAUL TRACY: I agree with both of these guys. I think Penske’s cars in race trim are fine. I think they have good handling cars. For whatever reason, they’re lacking the qualifying speed. That really all just comes down to — it’s not one thing you’re going to put on the car that’s going to fix everything — it’s a hundred little things, minute things that make the difference.

Certainly in this field, in a 500-mile race, you can win from anywhere in the field. To give you an example, I started 32nd in ’02. Guys have started from the back and won 500-mile races before. But it certainly doesn’t make your job easier.

You kind of put yourself in the danger zone we call it, Townsend and I, where the things that happen in the back of the field, you get caught up in other people’s mistakes, the things that happen. The guys in the back, the middle to the back of the field, actually race you harder and are more aggressive than the guys who are running inside the top five.

You’ll see the top three or four runners, there’s give-and-take, they’re kind of letting each other go, shuffle back and forth. When you get back 10th on back, those guys are not willing to give up a position to anybody. They’ll run you into the pit wall if they have to.

Like I said, the guys in the middle and the back of the field get really aggressive and territorial about their running position, and do not want to give up a position at all.

Coming through from the back of the field is extremely difficult. You’ve got to take risks, big risks, to make it happen, and also take big risks on your strategy and do something different than the leaders are doing which can either hurt you or help you when it comes down to the end of the race, whether it turns into any type of a fuel mileage race. You can either be on the good end of it if everything goes right, or you could be speckled at the front and be light on fuel, have to save fuel to make it to the end when other guys don’t.

It’s a juggling act. It’s a three-hour, five-balls-in-the-air juggling act to win a 500-mile race.

*REMINDER* LEIGH DIFFEY, TOWNSEND BELL, PAUL TRACY AND SAM FLOOD PREVIEW 105th INDIANAPOLIS 500 – TODAY AT 4 P.M. ET

By

105th Indianapolis 500 Presented This Sunday at 11 a.m. ET on NBC; Pre-Race Coverage of “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” Begins at 9 a.m. ET on NBCSN

Dial 800-353-6461 to Participate

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 26, 2021 – NBC Sports’ lead INDYCAR commentary team of Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell, and Paul Tracy, as well as executive producer Sam Flood, will preview the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500 on a media conference call today at 4 p.m. ET.

Media interested in participating should call 800-353-6461; Passcode: 1022546.

  • WHAT: 105th Indianapolis 500 Media Conference Call
  • WHO: Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell, Paul Tracy, and Sam Flood
  • WHEN: Today at 4 p.m. ET
  • NUMBER: 800-353-6461
  • PASSCODE: 1022546

NBC Sports presents the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge from Indianapolis Motor Speedway this Sunday, May 30, at 11 a.m. ET on NBC. Six-time INDYCAR champion and 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner Scott Dixon won the pole position and will lead the field to the green flag for this year’s Indy 500. Race day coverage begins at 9 a.m. ET on NBCSN.

This week’s coverage from Indianapolis Motor Speedway begins on Friday with the final practice session on Carb Day on NBCSN and Peacock at 11 a.m. ET.

—NBC SPORTS—

LEIGH DIFFEY, TOWNSEND BELL, PAUL TRACY AND SAM FLOOD PREVIEW 105th INDIANAPOLIS 500 – TOMORROW AT 4 P.M. ET

By

105th Indianapolis 500 Presented This Sunday at 11 a.m. ET on NBC; Pre-Race Coverage of “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” Begins at 9 a.m. ET on NBCSN

Dial 800-353-6461 to Participate

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 25, 2021 – NBC Sports’ lead INDYCAR commentary team of Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell, and Paul Tracy, as well as executive producer Sam Flood, will preview the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500 on a media conference call tomorrow, Wednesday, May 26, at 4 p.m. ET.

Media interested in participating should call 800-353-6461; Passcode: 1022546.

  • WHAT: 105th Indianapolis 500 Media Conference Call
  • WHO: Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell, Paul Tracy, and Sam Flood
  • WHEN: Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 26, at 4 p.m. ET
  • NUMBER: 800-353-6461
  • PASSCODE: 1022546

NBC Sports presents the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge from Indianapolis Motor Speedway this Sunday, May 30, at 11 a.m. ET on NBC. Six-time INDYCAR champion and 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner Scott Dixon won the pole position and will lead the field to the green flag for this year’s Indy 500. Race day coverage begins at 9 a.m. ET on NBCSN.

This week’s coverage from Indianapolis Motor Speedway begins on Friday with the final practice session on Carb Day on NBCSN and Peacock at 11 a.m. ET.

—NBC SPORTS—

NBC SPORTS PRESENTS 105TH RUNNING OF THE INDIANAPOLIS 500 THIS SUNDAY ON NBC

By

105th Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge – Sunday at 11 a.m. ET on NBC; Pre-Race Coverage of “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” Begins at 9 a.m. ET on NBCSN

Mike Tirico and Danica Patrick Anchor Pre-Race Coverage; Jimmie Johnson and Steve Letarte to Serve as Peacock Pit Box Analysts

Pre-Race Coverage Features Dale Earnhardt Jr. Interview with Marco Andretti, Paretta Autosport Feature, and Tim Layden Narrates Essay on Wheldon Family

Carb Day Coverage Begins Friday at 11 a.m. ET on NBCSN and Peacock

Indianapolis 500 Preview Media Call Featuring Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell, Paul Tracy and Sam Flood – TOMORROW at 4 p.m. ET

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 25, 2021 – NBC Sports presents the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge from Indianapolis Motor Speedway this Sunday, May 30, at 11 a.m. ET on NBC. Six-time INDYCAR champion and 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner Scott Dixon won the pole position and will lead the field to the green flag for this year’s Indy 500. Race day coverage begins at 9 a.m. ET on NBCSN.

SUNDAY, MAY 30 – PRE-RACE COVERAGE BEGINS ON NBCSN AT 9 A.M. ET; CONTINUES ON NBC AT 11 A.M. ET

NBC Sports will present eight hours of live coverage from Indianapolis Motor Speedway on race day, beginning with pre-race coverage at 9 a.m. ET on NBCSN. Coverage will shift to NBC for five hours of coverage at 11 a.m. ET, with the green flag of The Greatest Spectacle in Racing slated to wave at approximately 12:30 p.m. ET. Following the conclusion of the race, NBCSN will provide an hour of post-race coverage at 4 p.m. ET.

For the third consecutive year, the Indianapolis 500 will be called by NBC Sports’ lead INDYCAR team of Leigh Diffey (play-by-play), Townsend Bell (analyst) and Paul Tracy (analyst). Marty Snider, Kelli Stavast, Dave Burns and Kevin Lee will serve as pit reporters.

Bell and Tracy have combined to make 17 career Indy 500 starts. Tracy was the runner-up in the 2002 Indy 500, while Bell registered a career-best fourth-place Indy 500 finish in 2009. Diffey will call his third consecutive Indy 500 and has also called many of motorsports’ most prestigious events, including the F1 Monaco Grand Prix, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

NBC Sports’ comprehensive Indy 500 commentary team includes host Mike Tirico and analyst and former INDYCAR driver Danica Patrick, who became the first woman to lead laps and earn a top-five finish in the Indianapolis 500 in 2005. INDYCAR rookie and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson will serve as a Peacock Pit Box analyst alongside NBC Sports’ Steve Letarte. NBC Sports motorsports reporter Rutledge Wood returns for the third straight year to provide on-site reports around Indianapolis Motor Speedway, while NBC Sports’ Jac Collinsworth will make his Indy 500 debut when he serves as host of pre-race coverage on NBCSN.

Pre-race coverage on NBC will be highlighted by:

  • NBC Sports analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s sit-down interview with Marco Andretti, who will be competing in his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES race this season in the Indy 500;
  • NBC Sports’ Tim Layden narrates an essay on the Wheldon family – Susie Wheldon and sons, Sebastian and Oliver, who are developmental drivers for the Andretti Autosport team – remembering their husband and father Dan Wheldon, who tragically passed away in a racing accident 10 years ago after winning the Indy 500 in 2011;
  • Feature on Paretta Autosport, a racing team that is 75% female, including its owner, Beth Paretta, and driver, Simona De Silvestro, who became the first female driver-owner duo to qualify for the Indy 500;
  • NBC Sports’ Rutledge Wood speaks with David Letterman, co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, whose team won last year’s Indy 500 with defending champion Takuma Sato;
  • An introduction to select Indy 500 fans who have a special bond and connection to the Greatest Spectacle in Racing and what the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500 means personally to them in Faces of the 500 segments;
  • Reports from Rutledge Wood and Jac Collinsworth around IMS, taking in the sights and sounds from the approximately 135,000 spectators who will be in attendance.


INDIANAPOLIS 500 PREVIEW MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL – TOMORROW AT 4 P.M. ET

NBC Sports will hold a media conference call previewing the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500 tomorrow, Wednesday May 26, at 4 p.m. ET featuring NBC Sports’ lead INDYCAR commentary team of Leigh Diffey (play-by-play), Townsend Bell (analyst) and Paul Tracy (analyst) as well as executive producer Sam Flood.

Media interested in participating should call 800-353-6461; Passcode: 1022546.

  • WHAT: 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Media Conference Call
  • WHO: Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell, Paul Tracy, and Sam Flood
  • WHEN: Tomorrow, Wednesday May 26, at 4 p.m. ET
  • NUMBER: 800-353-6461
  • PASSCODE: 1022546

This week’s coverage from Indianapolis Motor Speedway begins on Friday with the final practice session on Carb Day on NBCSN and Peacock at 11 a.m. ET. Below is this weekend’s Indianapolis 500 coverage across NBC, NBCSN and Peacock:

Date Coverage Network/Streaming Time (ET)
Fri., May 28 Indianapolis 500 Carb Day NBCSN, Peacock 11 a.m.
Sun., May 30 Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge Pre-Race NBCSN 9 a.m.
  105th Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge NBC 11 a.m.
  Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge Post-Race NBCSN 4 p.m.

–NBC SPORTS–

NBC SPORTS TO SURROUND INDIANAPOLIS 500 COVERAGE WITH INNOVATIVE AND INTERACTIVE MARKETING INITIATIVES, HEADLINED BY THE “BIG SPILL”

By

“Big Spill” Activation – Focusing on the Indy 500’s Victory Lane Tradition of Drinking Milk – to Make Stops in New York City, Chicago and Indianapolis Ahead of Race Day

NBC Sports Social Takeover By Jimmie Johnson During Qualifying Weekend

“Message In A Milk Bottle” Time Capsule Revisited

105th Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 30 at 11 a.m. ET on NBC

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 21, 2021 – NBC Sports will surround the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge with innovative and interactive marketing and social media initiatives, headlined by the “Big Spill”.

Highlights of NBC Sports’ Indianapolis 500 marketing and social initiatives:

“Big Spill”: Focusing on the Indy 500’s unique Victory Lane tradition of drinking milk after winning, the “Big Spill” activation is an interactive exhibit that showcases the energy, excitement and action that’s synonymous with the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. Fans are able to stand in front of a display that resembles a wave of milk about to crash onto them covering them in the drink, like so many Indy 500 winners have experienced. Beginning today, Friday, May 21, the “Big Spill” will be located at:

  • South Street Seaport along Fulton St. and Front St. in New York City (May 21)
  • Congress Plaza North Garden along Michigan Ave. and East Ida Be Wells Drive in Chicago, Ill. (May 25)
  • Monument Circle inside Bollards in Indianapolis, Ind. (May 28-29)

Jimmie Johnson Social Takeover: INDYCAR rookie and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, who will be part of NBC Sports’ coverage of qualifying weekend and race day, will takeover the @IndyCaronNBC Twitter and Instagram Story for behind-the-scenes content around IMS during qualifying weekend on May 22-23.

“Message In A Milk Bottle” Revisited: The time capsule activation, “Message In A Milk Bottle,” will be revisited for a second straight year with drivers sharing their messages from 2020 as well as interacting with fan messages.

Plan Your Vaccine: As part of Comcast NBCUniversal’s Plan Your Vaccine campaign, TODAY’s Craig Melvin visits Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday, May 28, to highlight the track’s mass vaccination efforts ahead of hosting spectators at the Indy 500.

Milk Bottles Across NBC Sports and Affiliate Stations: Throughout the “Month of May,” NBC Sports will display sets of Indianapolis 500-branded milk bottles across a number of properties and high-profile events, including the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Preakness, Premier League, NASCAR America Motormouths, Dale Jr. Download, Golf Today, ProFootballTalk and others, along with inclusion on studio sets of affiliate stations in major markets across the country.

Fast 9: Across NBC Sports social platforms, INDYCAR drivers impersonate Fast 9 star Vin Diesel.

The Office: Across NBC Sports social platforms, INDYCAR drivers impersonate Dwight Schrute of The Office, which streams exclusively on Peacock.

WWE: WWE superstars The Miz and Titus O’Neil will attend race-day festivities at IMS, promoting Monday Night Raw on USA Network.

Qualifying weekend coverage from Indianapolis Motor Speedway gets underway tomorrow across NBC, NBCSN and Peacock. For more information, click here.

INDYCAR is part of NBC Sports’ “Home of Motorsports” programming throughout 2021, spanning NASCAR, IMSA Monster Energy Supercross, the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, MotoGP, Mecum Auctions, American Flat Track, Dakar Rally, and more.

–NBC SPORTS–

INDY 500 POLE POSITION DETERMINED THIS WEEKEND ON NBC

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Nearly 15 Hours of Live Practice and Qualifying Coverage for 105th Running of Indianapolis 500 from Indianapolis Motor Speedway Saturday and Sunday on NBC, NBCSN and Peacock

Jimmie Johnson and Steve Letarte to Serve as Peacock Pit Box Analysts During Qualifying Weekend

105th Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 30 at 11 a.m. ET on NBC

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 20, 2021 – The pole position for The Greatest Spectacle in Racing will be determined this weekend on NBC, as NBC Sports presents nearly 15 hours of live coverage of qualifying and practice for the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge from Indianapolis Motor Speedway on NBC, NBCSN and Peacock.

Coverage begins on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. ET on Peacock, continues on NBC at 2 p.m. ET and shifts to NBCSN at 3 p.m. ET. Saturday’s qualifying will help determine the drivers who will compete for the pole position in the Fast Nine Shootout on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

Sunday also sees Last Chance Qualifying, which includes the return of ‘Bump Day’ as teams try to claim the final three positions in the Indy 500 field. Last Chance Practice and Fast Nine Practice will be available exclusively on Peacock on Sunday at 11 a.m. ET. Sunday’s qualifying coverage gets underway at 1 p.m. ET on NBCSN and continues on NBC for two hours of coverage beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET.

In addition to its exclusive content, all weekend qualifying coverage on television will simul-stream on Peacock. All television coverage will also stream on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. For more information on how to sign up for INDYCAR on Peacock, click here.

NBC Sports’ Indianapolis 500 broadcast team of Leigh Diffey (play-by-play), Townsend Bell (analyst), and Paul Tracy (analyst) will call this weekend’s qualifying coverage on NBC, NBCSN and Peacock alongside pit reporters Marty Snider, Kelli Stavast, Kevin Lee, and Dave Burns. INDYCAR rookie and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and NBC Sports’ Steve Letarte will serve as Peacock Pit Box analysts during qualifying coverage.

BROADCAST TEAM

  • Play by Play: Leigh Diffey
  • Analysts: Townsend Bell, Paul Tracy, Steve Letarte, Jimmie Johnson
  • Pit Reporters: Marty Snider, Kelli Stavast, Kevin Lee, Dave Burns

HOW TO WATCH

  • TV – NBC, NBCSN
  • Streaming – Peacock, NBCSports.com, and NBC Sports app
Date Coverage Network/Streaming Time (ET)
Sat., May 22 Indianapolis 500 – Practice Peacock 9:30 a.m.
  Indianapolis 500 – Qualifying Peacock 12 p.m.
  Indianapolis 500 – Qualifying NBC, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app, Peacock 2 p.m.
  Indianapolis 500 – Qualifying NBCSN, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app, Peacock 3 p.m.
Sun., May 23 Indianapolis 500 – Last Chance Practice Peacock 11 a.m.
  Indianapolis 500 – Fast Nine Practice Peacock 11:30 a.m.
  Indianapolis 500 – Practice and Qualifying NBCSN, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app, Peacock 1 p.m.
  Indianapolis 500 – Qualifying NBC, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app Peacock 2:30 p.m.
  Indianapolis 500 – Practice Peacock 4:30 p.m.

INDYCAR is part of NBC Sports’ “Home of Motorsports” programming throughout 2021, spanning NASCAR, IMSA, Monster Energy Supercross, the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, MotoGP, Mecum Auctions, American Flat Track, Dakar Rally, and more.

All NBC and NBCSN coverage also streams on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value for their subscription service, and making high quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

SPORTS ON PEACOCK

Peacock Premium currently features live sports content from Premier League, US Speed Skating, Figure Skating, Rugby, Supercross, Skiing, and Snowboarding. Upcoming sports coverage on Peacock will include games from the 2021 NFL Season, INDYCAR, Olympics, and Paralympics. Highlights of Peacock’s previous live sports offerings include a Sunday NFL Wild Card playoff game, U.S. Open golf, U.S. Women’s Open golf, and upcoming events include Olympics and Paralympics coverage. Peacock Originals available on demand include Lost Speedways, hosted by Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and In Deep with Ryan Lochte. Peacock offers daily sports programming on the NBC Sports channel which streams Peacock Original Brother from Another, as well as The Dan Patrick Show, PFT Live, and The Rich Eisen Show.

Peacock is currently available on the Roku platform; Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD; Google platforms and devices, including Android™, Android TV™ devices, Chromecast and Chromecast built-in devices; Microsoft’s Xbox One family of devices, including Xbox One S and Xbox One X; Sony PlayStation4, PlayStation 4 Pro, and PlayStation5; and VIZIO SmartCast™ TVs and LG Smart TVs. Peacock Premium is included at no additional cost for Comcast’s eligible Xfinity X1 and Flex customers and Cox Contour customers.

–NBC SPORTS–

MIKE TIRICO AND DANICA PATRICK TO BE JOINED BY JIMMIE JOHNSON FOR NBC SPORTS’ STUDIO COVERAGE OF 105TH RUNNING OF INDIANAPOLIS 500

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Mike Tirico and Danica Patrick Return to Indy 500 Coverage for Third Consecutive Year; Jimmie Johnson to Join Steve Letarte as Peacock Pit Box Analyst

Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy to Call Third Consecutive Indy 500

Dale Earnhardt Jr. to be Part of Pre-Race Coverage

105th Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 30 on NBC

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 4, 2021 – As the Month of May gets underway, NBC Sports announced today that Jimmie Johnson will join Mike Tirico and Danica Patrick for its studio coverage of the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday, May 30. NBC Sports host Mike Tirico and studio analyst Danica Patrick return to Indianapolis 500 coverage for the third consecutive year, with INDYCAR rookie and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson making his on-air debut as a Peacock Pit Box analyst alongside NBC Sports’ Steve Letarte.

Tirico and Patrick reprise their Indy 500 roles from the past two races, contributing to pre-race, in-race, and post-race coverage. One of the most versatile voices in sports, Tirico also hosts NBC Olympics’ primetime coverage, Football Night in America and many other premier events across the NBC Sports portfolio of properties. Patrick, one of motorsports’ most popular personalities, is a former INDYCAR and NASCAR driver who became the first woman to lead laps and earn a top-five finish in the Indianapolis 500 in 2005.

“It continues to be an honor to be a part of the Indy 500 NBC Sports team for the third year in a row alongside Mike Tirico,” said Patrick. “I look forward to the experience more every year. In fact, it’s similar to the way it felt driving, as time passes, the gravity of the event becomes greater. I felt it from the inside, and now I am feeling it from the outside. On a competitive note, what has been obvious so far this season, is how many great young drivers there are. It will be fun to see how they stack up to the veterans on the big stage.”

A seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Johnson made his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut this season at the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama and will compete at street and road circuits throughout 2021. Johnson will serve as an analyst on race day and Qualifying weekend, working at the Peacock Pit Box alongside Letarte, who will also be making his Indy 500 on-air debut.

“To say I am excited for May in Indianapolis is an understatement,” said Johnson. “This will be my first in person Indianapolis 500 experience, and I absolutely cannot wait to take it all in. I’m really excited to be working alongside Mike Tirico, who is one of my favorite hosts, and sitting on the Peacock Pit Box with Steve Letarte will be so much fun, as we go way back. I’m so appreciative to NBC Sports for this opportunity and I’m ready to have some fun and hopefully make it fun for the fans watching at home.”

“We are thrilled to have Mike and Danica return as well as add Jimmie to our Indy 500 coverage this May,” said Sam Flood, Executive Producer and President, Production, NBC Sports & NBCSN. “Danica’s and Jimmie’s racing insights, along with Mike anchoring our broadcast from historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, will add another gear to Leigh, Townsend, Paul and our pit reporters’ coverage of The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

For the third consecutive year, the Greatest Spectacle in Racing will be called by NBC Sports’ lead INDYCAR team of Leigh Diffey (play-by-play), Townsend Bell (analyst) and Paul Tracy (analyst). Marty Snider, Kelli Stavast and Kevin Lee will serve as pit reporters.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., one of racing’s most popular personalities and an NBC Sports motorsports analyst, will be a part of pre-race coverage. NBC Sports motorsports reporter Rutledge Wood returns for the third straight year to provide on-site reports around Indianapolis Motor Speedway, while NBC Sports’ Jac Collinsworth will make his Indy 500 debut when he serves as host of pre-race coverage on NBCSN at 9 a.m. ET. Pre-race coverage begins on NBC at 11 a.m. ET, with the green flag dropping at 12:30 p.m. ET.

NBC Sports and Peacock Premium will surround the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500 with 55+ hours of coverage, including every practice session, qualifying, Carb Day and eight hours of race-day coverage from iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Complete programming details will be announced in the near future.

Coverage of the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES continues on Saturday, May 15, with the GMR Grand Prix from the IMS road course at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Click here for more information on NBC Sports’ comprehensive coverage of the 2021 INDYCAR season.

–NBC SPORTS–