BT Sport will not broadcast coverage of the IndyCar Series this season after losing the rights to the championship.
The series aired on Sky Sports as part of a longstanding relationship until the end of the 2012 season, with regular live studio coverage covering each race. As Sky ramped up their F1 involvement, IndyCar arguably suffered, and the series moved over to ESPN at the start of 2013.
IndyCar continued on ESPN, but under the BT Sport umbrella from August 2013 onwards. Whilst BT Sport’s agreement with ESPN’s international arm lasts until 2022, the decision by IndyCar to break away from ESPN and bring their international rights in-house placed BT Sport’s UK deal under threat.
This site can confirm that BT Sport have lost the rights to IndyCar with immediate effect. Writing on Twitter, BT Sport’s IndyCar commentator Tom Gaymor said “Unfortunately it looks like IndyCar will not be on BT Sport this year, no more information at the moment! I know a lot of you have been asking, so if it changes, I’ll let you know. I’m as disappointed as you are.”
Typically, IndyCar races average around 25,000 viewers, a figure that has remained relatively static in recent years. Most notably, IndyCar enjoyed its moment in the sun in 2017, when the appearance of Fernando Alonso at the Indianapolis 500 led to BT Sport’s coverage peaking with over 200,000 viewers, by far IndyCar’s highest UK audience in a generation.
For the IndyCar fans that have stuck with BT Sport’s coverage, the parting of ways between the two sides is a shame. Whilst BT Sport did not revolutionise IndyCar coverage as such (the budget remained small), what the motor sport team, led by Nick Kennerley off camera, did provide was a home for the series.
BT’s coverage was commercial free for the most parts with UK commentators Gaymor, Keith Collantine and Oliver Webb providing insight when their US colleagues were on commercial breaks. It is difficult to imagine another network doing the same thing as BT have done for the past few years.
However, if IndyCar’s new home does provide the championship with a wider platform, then overall this is a good move.
IndyCar have yet to announce a new broadcast partner for the UK. One possibility is that IndyCar finds itself back on Sky Sports. Comcast now owns Sky, and has done so since the middle of 2018. In the US, IndyCar is airing on NBC in a new deal starting this season. And Comcast also owns NBC…
I have reached out to IndyCar for further comment.
Motorsport Broadcasting 
Here we go again. I wonder where Indycar will go, will it go back to Sky via its Sky Sports USA channel?
Bugger…
Disapointing as BTSport’s ad-free coverage has been fantastic over the past few years and helped me get back into the sport.
Kinda hoping that nobody gets the rights and we can watch the live feed on Indycar’s youtube channel.
Looks like it’s going to be like NASCAR for me then.. Full race replays on YouTube
Maybe ITV4????
That’s what I was thinking but would ITV4 take a gamble?
for me im happy as i was huge fan of indy car in 2000s watching de ferran & Montoya. before they became big names & move to BT. meant i lost touch.
This is very disappointing news. As someone else said, BT Sport’s coverage was excellent and as free (the odd hiccup aside!).
So, no live F1 & possibly no Indycar too… very sad.
That’s unfortunate, but it could mean that the races will no longer be geo blocked on You Tube and they might now be allowed to stream live now that there’s no TV deal ! Even though the races became available a few days later in full and as highlights, having the live stream instantly available can only be a good thing. If not let’s hope a channel on free view can get it like ITV4, channel 4, channel 5 or even BBC at a push !
I think because of the new NBC deal and their ‘Gold’ app, the You Tube streams will no longer be available although possibly they might be outside the US. Even for Gold app users, there is no live stream of the actual race….So far, it looks like they couldn’t care less about the fans over here but maybe if they think that when Alonso was in the 500 there were 200k viewers?? I stand to be corrected though!!
I always thought Sky where 100% focused on F1, but they could put IndyCar on the F1 channel too, filler for non-F1 weekends
Agreed but we have to try and get live race coverage. I’ll never be able to keep away from the result nowadays….
“One possibility is that IndyCar finds itself back on Sky Sports. Comcast now owns Sky, and has done so since the middle of 2018. In the US, IndyCar is airing on NBC in a new deal starting this season. And Comcast also owns NBC…”
That’s very interesting and here’s hoping……
It would be great if ITV4 would pick it up!!
Absolutely. I do wonder whether [possibly because of Alonso] that IndyCar just priced itself out of the viable UK TV market?
Boy, was I wrong about the way this would play out !!
“IndyCar have yet to announce a new broadcast partner for the UK.”
Well, IndyCar have yet to announce any broadcast partner outside the US.
Apparently Sweden are in the game [!] and I would be amazed if there isn’t a Spanish broadcaster because of Fred taking part in the 500, but you’re right, even Canada haven’t got a carrier. Seems beyond stupid. How can you ramp up enthusiasm when there’s only days to go?
Indycar coverage was the main reason for me having BT TV, so I guess I’ll be cancelling
Interesting to read that the BT IndyCar coverage in the UK was mostly commercial free. Here in the U.S. they are *many* commercial breaks and it always detracts from the experience.
Yeah, we would take the American commentary for the race, but then during your incredibly frequent brakes we would have a separate British commentary team. It worked extremely well.
Have people forgot there is a Sky Sports USA and if Indycar goes back to Sky there a place for it there therefore not interfering with Sky Sports F1
Sky Sports USA was a one month temporary re-brand (like they do for things like darts) of Sky Sports Action for the Superbowl.
There is talk/chatter of an announcement for UK broadcaster on Monday. We’ll see but there is a rumour that it will be on SKY. Not confirmed.
24 comments.
The most on this blog so far this year.
So there IS substantial interest in the series.