Three weekends of ABC coverage at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, including the network’s 50th consecutive telecast of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on May 25, is part of the 2014 TV schedule announced by INDYCAR and broadcast partners ABC and NBC Sports Network.
ABC will televise five races, including the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis on May 10, plus Indianapolis 500 qualifications on May 17-18. NBCSN will televise 13 races, including the final 11 of the 18-race schedule.
“With the debut of the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, the intensity of qualifications for the Indianapolis 500 and the ‘Greatest Spectacle in Racing,’ ABC is the destination to tune in for our three big weekends of competition in May,” said Mark Miles, CEO of Hulman & Co., the parent company of INDYCAR.
ABC’s schedule also includes the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday, March 30, and the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix doubleheader on Saturday, May 31, and Sunday, June 1. The telecasts for all three races will begin at 3:30 p.m. ET. The network also broadcast both Detroit races in 2013.
“The Indianapolis 500 has been an important property for our company for many years and the milestone of the 50th consecutive race on ABC is one that we plan to celebrate,” said Julie Sobieski, ESPN vice president, league sports programming. “It’s only fitting that our celebration also will include the new race on the Indianapolis road course and the drama of qualifications.
“At the same time, we’re also very happy to again be able to air the season opener from St. Petersburg as well as the doubleheader from Detroit. We look forward to an exciting season with the IndyCar Series and the Month of May at Indianapolis.”
NBCSN will pick up the schedule with the Firestone 600 on Saturday, June 7, and carry it through to the season finale Saturday, Aug. 30, at Auto Club Speedway. The NBCSN portion of the schedule continues the IndyCar Series emphasis on consistency in start times. With the exception of night races, many of the NBCSN telecasts will begin at 3 p.m. ET.
Miles added: “We’re grateful to our television partners for working with us on a schedule that gives our fans the best of both networks. Fans will know that NBC Sports Network is our home for the final 11 races of the season, including two doubleheaders, as we build up to another exciting championship.”
“We’re pleased to again present a record 13 races to IndyCar’s passionate fan base on NBCSN, including Long Beach, Barber, two doubleheaders and the final 11 races of the season,” said Jon Miller, president, programming, NBCSN.
NBCSN also will televise two of the season’s first three races – the 40th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 13, beginning at 4 p.m. ET, and the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama on Sunday, April 27, beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET as well as live coverage of final preparations for the 98th Indianapolis 500 on “Carburetion Day,” May 23.
Download the 2014 IndyCar Series Schedule
