INDYCAR Viewership Surges with Inaugural Arlington Grand Prix

The 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES is experiencing a strong start, with the inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington drawing significant viewership and continuing a trend of growing fan engagement. The race, held on Sunday, March 15, attracted 1,336,000 viewers on FOX, marking a substantial increase in interest in the series.

Arlington Race Drives Viewership Gains

The Arlington Grand Prix’s viewership represents a 142 percent increase compared to the third race of the 2025 season, the Acura Long Beach Grand Prix. It also demonstrates a 54 percent increase over the 2025 average for Sunday races on FOX, excluding the Indianapolis 500 .

Peak viewership for the race reached 1,563,000 between 2:00 PM and 2:15 PM ET, coinciding with Kyle Kirkwood’s push to the checkered flag on the 14-turn, 2.73-mile temporary street circuit located near AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field .

FOX and INDYCAR Partnership Fuels Growth

The success of the Arlington race continues a positive trend for both FOX and INDYCAR in the current season. This marks the first time since the 2008 reunification of American open-wheel racing that the first three races of a season have averaged over 1 million viewers .

FOX is currently averaging 1,328,000 viewers for the first three races of the 2026 season, a 48 percent increase compared to 2025 .

Looking Ahead: Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix

FOX’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will continue on Sunday, March 29, with the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. Race coverage is scheduled to start at 1:00 PM ET on FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX One, and the FOX Sports app .