Editing Indianapolis 500 (section)

==Broadcasting==
{{main|List of Indianapolis 500 broadcasters}}

Radio coverage of the race dates back to 1922. The race has been broadcast live on the radio in its entirety by the [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network]] since 1953.

The Hulmans did not allow live television coverage of the 500 until 1986, largely to maximize gate attendance. The race was briefly televised live in 1949 and 1950 on [[WRTV|WFBM-TV]] (today's WRTV), after which the practice was discontinued. From 1964 to 1970, the race was broadcast live on [[closed-circuit television]] in theaters around the country. From 1965 through 1970, a highlighted version of the race was shown on [[ESPN on ABC|ABC]]'s ''[[Wide World of Sports (U.S. TV series)|Wide World of Sports]]''. From 1971 through 1985, an edited same-day, [[tape delay (broadcasting)|tape delay]] broadcast of the race was shown in prime time. The race broadcast was edited down to either two or three hours in duration (including commercials).

From 1986 through 2018, ABC televised the race live in its entirety. However Indianapolis affiliate [[WRTV]] was required by the Speedway to [[blackout (broadcasting)|blackout]] the national broadcast, and instead carry it on tape delay to encourage local race attendance. In 1992 the tape-delay broadcast was pushed forward to Sunday evenings.

In [[2007 Indianapolis 500|2007]] (the first year in which the race was carried under the [[ESPN on ABC]] branding), the race was first aired in [[High-definition television|high-definition]].<ref name="INDY34">{{cite web|publisher=Indianapolis Motor Speedway|url=http://indy500ontv.com/|title=91st Indianapolis 500 To Be Televised On ABC In Sony HD Technology|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150522132331/http://indy500ontv.com/|archive-date=2015-05-22}}</ref> In 2016, the IMS declared a sell-out of race tickets for the 100th running of the event, meaning that WRTV would be allowed to air the race live for the first time since 1950.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theindychannel.com/sports/indycar/road-to-100/blackout-lifted-rtv6-to-show-indianapolis-500-live-on-race-day|title=Blackout lifted: RTV6 to show Indianapolis 500 LIVE on race day|work=[[WRTV|TheIndyChannel.com]]|publisher=[[Scripps Media]]|date=25 May 2016|access-date=25 August 2016|archive-date=May 28, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160528155159/http://www.theindychannel.com/sports/indycar/road-to-100/blackout-lifted-rtv6-to-show-indianapolis-500-live-on-race-day|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=WRTV to air Indy 500 live|url=http://www.adweek.com/tvspy/wrtv-to-air-indy-500-live-after-blackout-lifted/171126|website=TVSpy|date=May 25, 2016|access-date=25 May 2016|archive-date=May 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160526121124/http://www.adweek.com/tvspy/wrtv-to-air-indy-500-live-after-blackout-lifted/171126|url-status=live}}</ref>

Under the live coverage arrangement, the Indianapolis affiliate of the network airing the race airs that day's programming in a transposed arrangement, with network primetime programming airing during the race and transmitted to the affiliate in advance (for instance in 2019, WTHR aired the season finale of the NBC primetime series ''[[Good Girls (TV series)|Good Girls]]'' at 2 p.m. local time), while the race airs on tape delay in prime time.

Coverage of time trials on ABC dates back to 1961. ABC covered time trials in various live and in tape-delayed formats from 1961 to 2008 and from 2014 to 2018. [[ESPN]] (and later along with [[ESPN2]]) carried various portions of time trials from 1987 to 2008. Versus covered time trials from 2009 to 2013. Practice sessions have been streamed live online dating back to at least 2001.<ref>[http://www.chron.com/news/article/BW-IndyCar-and-WhiteBlox-Cross-the-Finish-Line-1877121.php IndyCar and WhiteBlox Cross the Finish Line; Tens of Thousands of Viewers Surf to Live Online Indy 500 Video Coverage] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211011821/http://www.chron.com/news/article/BW-IndyCar-and-WhiteBlox-Cross-the-Finish-Line-1877121.php |date=December 11, 2013 }} – Houston Chronicle, 1 June 2006</ref>

In 2019, coverage of the Indianapolis 500 moved to [[IndyCar Series on NBC|NBC]], as part of a new three-year contract that unifies the IndyCar Series' television rights with [[NBC Sports]] (the parent division of its current cable partner NBCSN), and replaces the package of five races broadcast by ABC with an eight-race package on [[NBC]]. The Indianapolis 500 is one of the eight races; this contract ended ABC's 54-year tenure as broadcaster of the race.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/motor/2018/03/21/indycar-races-broadcast-nbc-beginning-2019/444807002/|title=The Indy 500 will soon have a new TV network|work=Indianapolis Star|access-date=2018-03-21|language=en|archive-date=March 22, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180322041348/https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/motor/2018/03/21/indycar-races-broadcast-nbc-beginning-2019/444807002/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/indianapolis-500-indycar-nbc-sports-abc-1202732343/|title=NBC Sports Grabs Indianapolis 500 Rights From ABC After 54 Years|last=Steinberg|first=Brian|date=2018-03-21|work=Variety|access-date=2018-03-21|language=en-US|archive-date=November 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118085934/https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/indianapolis-500-indycar-nbc-sports-abc-1202732343/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[WTHR]] became the local broadcaster of the race under this contract; the existing blackout policy remained, though speedway officials left the door open to allowing WTHR to air the race live in the event of a sellout.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/motor/2018/03/21/how-indycar-nbc-deal-affect-local-indy-500-blackout/445771002/|title=How IndyCar-NBC deal will affect local Indy 500 blackout|work=Indianapolis Star|access-date=2018-03-21|language=en|archive-date=June 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613204927/https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/motor/2018/03/21/how-indycar-nbc-deal-affect-local-indy-500-blackout/445771002/|url-status=live}}</ref> In contrast with the usual sell-out policy, in 2020, the race aired live on WTHR, as the Speedway ran the first three meetings (NASCAR in July, the Indianapolis 500 in August, and Road to Indy in September) behind closed doors as a result of [[COVID-19 pandemic in Indiana|COVID-19 cases in the state]] (the third INDYCAR meeting, the October road course races, admitted 10,000 spectators each day).<ref>{{cite press release|title=Indianapolis 500 to air live on WTHR|publisher=WTHR|date=22 July 2020|url=https://www.wthr.com/article/sports/motor/indianapolis-500/indianapolis-500-to-air-live-indy-wthr-channel-13-2020/531-1a6779cb-1ce3-478a-b942-743434c2d1ae|access-date=6 August 2020|archive-date=August 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200813055456/https://www.wthr.com/article/sports/motor/indianapolis-500/indianapolis-500-to-air-live-indy-wthr-channel-13-2020/531-1a6779cb-1ce3-478a-b942-743434c2d1ae|url-status=live}}</ref> The race was also shown live in 2021 on WTHR due to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's restricted capacity amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.wthr.com/article/sports/motor/indianapolis-500/105th-indianapolis-500-to-welcome-fans-at-40-percent-capacity-indianapolis-moor-speedway-vaccine-restrictions/531-09d413be-3ff3-4892-b854-5451db013f35|title = 105th Indianapolis 500 to welcome fans at 40 percent capacity|date = 21 April 2021|access-date = July 20, 2021|archive-date = July 20, 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210720191422/https://www.wthr.com/article/sports/motor/indianapolis-500/105th-indianapolis-500-to-welcome-fans-at-40-percent-capacity-indianapolis-moor-speedway-vaccine-restrictions/531-09d413be-3ff3-4892-b854-5451db013f35|url-status = live}}</ref> [[WPBI-LD|WPBI-LD2]] in [[Lafayette, Indiana|Lafayette]] also blacks out live coverage of the race as although Lafayette is its own television market, Indianapolis stations are easily accessible (and outside of Lafayette's CBS affiliate, were the only stations available to Lafayette viewers until the mid-2010s). WPBI-LD2 would therefore also air NBC's primetime programming in the afternoon along with WTHR whilst the race aired live across the rest of the network. The first day of qualifying is no longer broadcast on television and only available through streaming.

In 2022, the race was able to be viewed live within Central Indiana and Lafayette; however, it was only available on the [[Peacock (streaming service)|Peacock]] streaming service and was not available live on WTHR or WPBI-DT2. The race aired on tape delay as normal.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/motor/2022/05/27/indy-500-2022-how-to-watch-live-peacock-signup-blackout-indianapolis-indiana/9957491002/ |title=Local Indy 500 fans: Here's how you can subscribe to Peacock to watch the race live Sunday |work=Indianapolis Star |last=Brown |first=Nathan |date=May 27, 2022 |access-date=June 1, 2023 |archive-date=April 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230425190919/https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/motor/2022/05/27/indy-500-2022-how-to-watch-live-peacock-signup-blackout-indianapolis-indiana/9957491002/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2024, the blackout was lifted at 2:30 p.m. due to inclement weather causing delays.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-26 |title=2024 Indianapolis 500 to air live on WTHR Channel 13 in central Indiana following rain delay |url=https://www.wthr.com/article/sports/motor/indianapolis-500/2024-indianapolis-500-air-live-wthr-channel-13-central-indiana-following-rain-delay/531-2b6eae3e-e4cc-4280-acd0-93f63c030930 |access-date=2024-05-26 |website=wthr.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

[[Fox Sports (United States)|Fox Sports]] took over rights to IndyCar, including the Indianapolis 500, beginning in 2025, with [[WXIN]] as its local outlet.<ref>{{Cite web |title=FOX will be new exclusive home of IndyCar, Indianapolis 500 starting in 2025 |url=https://www.foxsports.com/stories/other/fox-will-new-exclusive-home-indycar-indianapolis-500-starting-2025 |access-date=2024-06-14 |website=FOX Sports |language=en-US |archive-date=June 14, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240614072119/https://www.foxsports.com/stories/other/fox-will-new-exclusive-home-indycar-indianapolis-500-starting-2025 |url-status=live }}</ref> On May 16, 2025, with IMS expecting a sellout, it was announced that the blackout would be lifted for the eighth time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Nathan |title=IMS lifts blackout of Indy 500 ahead of expected grandstand sellout |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/motor/indy-500/2025/05/16/indy-500-blackout-ims-grandstand-tickets-sellout/83667728007/ |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=The Indianapolis Star |language=en-US}}</ref>