Local broadcast blackout lifted for Indianapolis 500 with sellout expected

Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials announced Friday that this year’s running of the Indianapolis 500 will be telecast live in the central Indiana market, lifting an expected blackout on Indianapolis station WXIN-TV Channel 59.

Doug Boles, president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, said the real-time telecast will happen because the track is nearing a sellout of grandstand seats.

This year’s Indianapolis 500 is on course to be the first grandstand sellout since 2016, when the 100th running of the race led to the first lifting of the TV blackout since 1950.

“We will lift the local delay in the Indianapolis market so those folks here in Indianapolis can watch the Indianapolis 500 live when it’s run,” Boles said.

Boles said fewer than 1,000 grandstand tickets are available for purchase. General admission tickets will continue to be sold leading up to the race on May 25.

“We anticipate very nearly 350,000 people here on race day,” Boles said.

According to published reports, the track has a fixed grandstand capacity of more than 250,000.

Part of last year’s race was telecast live because of inclement weather that disrupted the expected timeline. In 2020, the race was telecast live because the pandemic prevented spectators from attending.

Fox Sports will make its debut this year as the network airing the race. Boles said Fox affiliate WXIN will show the race as it happens and also show an evening rerun on May 25.