Roger Penske’s team keeps FOX deal details under wraps, teases big things amid reports of Newgarden, Palou, and O’Ward in promos

Billionaire IndyCar owner Roger Penske's team has teased a big development about its new broadcast partnership with Fox Sports. The open-wheel series ended its 16-year partnership with NBC in June this year to sign Fox as its exclusive broadcasting partner from 2025 onwards.

As per RACER, FOX has begun filming commercials with IndyCar drivers for the upcoming season. Defending 3x champ Alex Palou, defending 2x Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden, and Arrow McLaren's Pato O'Ward reportedly flew to Los Angeles for the shoot. A Penske Entertainment representative said (via RACER):

"We’re off to an aggressive start with FOX, and there are more exciting things in the works. Stay tuned!"

Newgarden also attended Race Service's 'Night School' while in LA. The commercials are expected to air on FOX's broadcast network during their NFL Playoffs coverage in January 2025 and could extend into the Super Bowl weekend on February 9 and until the IndyCar season kicks off on March 2 at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

IndyCar's FOX deal was one of several monumental decisions taken since Roger Penske's acquisition of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the racing series in 2019.

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A deeper dive into FOX Sports' deal with Roger Penske's IndyCar

Roger Penske - NASCAR Cup Series Championship - Source: Getty

After a surprisingly successful 2023 for IndyCar where NBC helped the series reach new viewership heights, averaging 1.32 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, USA Network, and NBC Sports digital platforms, 2024 came as a let-down. In the first half of the season, the iconic Indy 500 was the only race with over 1 million viewers.

With the series facing financial pressure, Penske Entertainment CEO Mark Miles finalized a new deal with FOX despite another broadcasting giant reportedly offering a loaded deal. However, it was FOX's promise of unrivaled exposure that tilted the scales in their favor.

In July, Miles shared the exact percentage increases in viewership that FOX would bring in 2025. He said (via Blackbook Motorsport):

"Every one of our 17 races in 2025 will be live on Fox Network, free-to-air and available everywhere in the United States. In addition to that, there will be broadcast network coverage of the Indy 500 qualifying, which we think is both compelling to fans but important to building the anticipation of the Indy 500 the weekend after. That’s a 52 percent increase in the number of hours that IndyCar racing will be on network this year compared to next. That’s unprecedented, and I think that’s historic."

"We can probably look for more than 30 percent growth in our total audience delivery from year to year. It’s easier for Fox and us to promote from race to race, and I just don’t see anything else like that in this country in motorsport," he added.

Miles was the CEO of Hulman & Company, the organization that owned the IMS and IndyCar. When Team Penske owner Roger Penske bought those properties, Miles became the CEO of Penske Entertainment.