Indy 500 TV Ratings Jump 40 Percent

Beloit Daily News ^ | 5/30/05

[LdSentinal]

NEW YORK - Danica Patrick's first Indianapolis 500 made for great television. ABC's broadcast on Sunday drew a 6.6 overnight rating and a 17 share, up 40 percent from last year and the highest since 1997.

Patrick, who became the first woman to hold the lead at the Indy 500, led several of the final laps before settling for fourth. The ratings during the last 15 minutes of the race spiked to 8.8/21.

Dan Wheldon passed the 23-year-old rookie with seven laps to go and coasted to his first victory at the Brickyard.

Last year's race, won by Patrick's Rahal-Letterman teammate Buddy Rice, drew a 4.7/11.

Arie Luyendyk's victory in the 1997 race, which finished on a Tuesday because of rain, drew a 7.6/19.

The rating is the percentage of all homes with TVs, whether or not they are in use. Overnight ratings measure the 55 largest TV markets in the United States, covering nearly 70 percent of the country. Share is the percentage of people actually watching TV at a time who tune in at any point during a specific program.

Each overnight rating point represents about 735,000 TV homes.

[ProudVet77]

You all knew this was coming.....

[al baby]

she should be home baking cookies and cleaning house gezzz

[RoseofTexas]

Watch the She-DEVIL, who's name will not be mentioned, become a SUDDEN Indy 500 race car fan...MARK MY WORDS!! You'll be seeing her in every darn race that's televised! Sad thing about the whole thing will be watching the drivers of those cars extend a warm welcome to the Beast, of course them being gentlemen and all...uughh! Can't stand the *itch!!

[baystaterebel]

She ran a good race. A few mistakes but she handled her car well. Fuel pressure eventually killed her run. She will get a win eventually. Coming in fourth as a rookie is not easy by any means. IRL needed this, and her, badly.

[Lunatic Fringe]

Yup, they got exactly what they wanted.

[Perdogg]

What's going to happen in the near future is Indy race teams are going to develop young women who weigh about 100 lbs and basically give the drivers instructions over the com.

I would not be surprise to see Paris Hilton as a Indy race driver.

[BurbankKarl]

She did great...better than black flagged leaker Robbie Gordon at the Coke600.

Although, she needed more than a yellow to win the race in the end....

It was the most competitive race in recent memory.

(And please boot anyone with the Foyt name out next year...they take too many other drivers out with their bad driving )

[Bernard]

If Paris Hilton keeps eating those hamburgers from the commercial she won't weigh 100 lbs. anymore. But then, she can take lessons from Roseanne on how to sing the anthem.

[BurbankKarl]

Did you watch the race?

[al baby]

You do know i was kidding. I was yelling and jumping up and down hoping she would win. Letterman would have had a great top ten list, still might. I say go Danica

[baystaterebel]

"What's going to happen in the near future is Indy race teams are going to develop young women who weigh about 100 lbs and basically give the drivers instructions over the com."

Where you been? Thats been going on since the cars have gotten radio communications. And holy jock straps Bat Man!.....They were coaching the male drives too.

[RoseofTexas]

Ooops, sorry should have been more clear about who I was talking about...I was talking about Hillary! According to some stats, race car fans are a HUGH voting block! They usually lean republican, I think. This sport is becoming extremely popular and political, so watch the SHE-DEVIL, aka Hitlary become a rabid fan like she did baseball when she was running for senator.!

[Perdogg]

I agree, I never said it was new. All I am saying is get a young skinny woman with decent driving skills, it may take a few years to develop, and basically coach her.

I was not being misogynistic or lacking understanding for the obvious.

[troublesome creek]

Are you being series?

[Perdogg]

I saw about half of it. I saw the beginning and the ending, I missed from about lap 90 to 180.

[Southack]

"I would not be surprise to see Paris Hilton as a Indy race driver."

The TV ratings would go up so much that *all* of the Indy Teams would become profitable, especially if Paris Hilton won and there was a pay-per-view for the winner's circle traditional kiss from the trophy girls.

...And lets face it, without sexy women in the hunt for the checkered flag, the sport is too mundane to attract a big TV audience (live attendence is a different beast, though).

Besides, racing has so many rules in it now that mandate so much evenness between cars and teams, that relatively inexperienced female drivers really can win now.

It was only a matter of time before the teams figured that much out, too.

[troublesome creek]

Head Cheerleader, Todd "Brown Nose" Harris, who called the race for ABC was insufferable. Danica this. Will Danica do that? Danica, oh Danica, wherefore art thou, oh Danica.

Not her fault he was such an obsequious, fawning ba*tard. Had his order from the brass, though. Play it up big.

She did well. Next thing you know there will be a copier named after her.

[al baby]

[troublesome creek]

No wonder Bill thought Monica was shapely and svelte.