Freedom 250 Grand Prix Delivers Blockbuster Rating for FOX

Yet another measure of the success of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. was delivered Tuesday, as the FOX broadcast of the historic race in the nation’s capital drew the largest audience outside of the Indianapolis 500 than any INDYCAR SERIES race in nearly 20 years.

FOX’s broadcast drew an average audience of 3,282,000 viewers Sunday, Aug. 23, the largest non-Indy 500 rating since before the sport unified in 2008. That’s a 279 percent increase over the average viewership of Sunday non-Indy 500 races last year on FOX.

Viewership of the first-ever motor race around the National Mall and many historical buildings and monuments peaked at 3,482,000 from 2:30-2:45 p.m. ET, as Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood was headed toward an iconic victory as an American driver.

The huge rating continues a trend of increasing viewership of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES this season on FOX. Through 15 races, INDYCAR on FOX is averaging 1,875,000 viewers, an increase of 32 percent (1,416,000) from FOX’s first year as INDYCAR broadcast partner in 2025 and up 70 percent (1,106,200) from NBC’s final season in 2024.

FOX will televise live both races of the Snap-on INDYCAR Weekend this Saturday and Sunday from the Milwaukee Mile. The Snap-on Makers and Fixers 250 starts at 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday, with the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 at 1 p.m. ET Sunday. FOX One also will stream both races live.