By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio

Extended pre-race coverage of the 109^th running of the Indianapolis 500 is among several features included in FOX Sports’ 2025 NTT IndyCar Series broadcast schedule.

INDYCAR’s new broadcast partner and the Indianapolis-based sanctioning body confirmed race broadcast start times on Wednesday. Announced in June as part of the media rights deal between FOX Sports and INDYCAR, an NTT IndyCar Series record 17 races will be available on broadcast television _ offering a massive increase in exposure. The NTT IndyCar Series is poised to become the only premier motorsport series in North America with all races broadcast live on network television. In addition, all INDYCAR programming will stream live on the FOX Sports app.

The season will begin with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (Fla.) presented by RP Funding street race at noon (all times Eastern) Sunday, March 2.

The schedule’s highlight is the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 25. A broadcast beginning at 10 a.m. will allow for over two hours of pre-race coverage before the green flag falls for the flying start of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

Josef Newgarden – BOMMARITO AUTOMOTIVE GROUP 500 – Photo by Joe Skibinski

Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden is amped not only for the chance to notch a third consecutive victory in domestic open-wheel racing’s premier event, but also for FOX Sports’ impact on the series.

“On behalf of everybody in INDYCAR, we’re so excited about the new partnership with FOX Sports,” Newgarden said. “They’ve given us so much already and I can’t wait to see what we can do together in 2025. I think we’re really going to bring INDYCAR to the masses and retell our story in a significant way. I think people are going to be really pleased with what they see. The first round can’t get here soon enough. It’s going to be a big year.”

The 2025 season will close on Labor Day Weekend _ approximately two weeks earlier than in 2024 _ with the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 31. Spaniard Alex Palou clinched his third championship in four years in mid-September on the oval in Lebanon, Tenn.

Alex Palou during the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey in Monterey, California. (Photo by Joe Skibinski | IMS Photo)

Palou placed 11^th in the 2024 season-ending Big Machine Music City Grand Prix, a finish more than enough for the Chip Ganassi Racing ace to secure his third Astor Challenge Cup. At 27 years, 5 months and 14 days, Palou became the second-youngest driver to win three INDYCAR championships. Only Team Penske’s Sam Hornish Jr. was younger _ 27 years, 2 months and 8 days _ in 2006.

Key talking points on FOX’s 2025 NTT IndyCar Series broadcast schedule:

_ The first points-paying The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix on the 3.067-mile/17-turn Twin Palms circuit on Sunday, March 23, at 3 p.m.

_ A return to network television for the 50th anniversary celebration of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach street race in Southern California on Sunday, April 13, at 4:30 p.m.

_ Network coverage of the finishing hours of both days of qualifying for the Indy 500 on Saturday and Sunday, May 17 and 18, at 4 p.m. _ bringing the total number of network windows on FOX to a record 19.

_ Non-stop racing action in July with five races in four weekends, including the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend doubleheader Saturday, July 12, at 5 p.m. and Sunday, July 13, at 2 p.m. at Iowa Speedway in Newton.

_ The return to network television for the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto on the tight and unforgiving Streets of Toronto circuit Sunday, July 20, at 2 p.m.

_ The historic Milwaukee Mile, which produced the most on-track passes on-record in 2024, will be the penultimate race of the 2025 championship on Sunday, Aug. 24, at 2 p.m.

“The unrivaled exposure FOX will bring to the NTT IndyCar Series, including an additional hour of Indy 500 pre-race coverage, will prove to be a spectacular showcase for our drivers and teams,” said Mark Miles, Penske Entertainment Corp. president/CEO. “With FOX’s tremendous partnership and support, we’re going to bring the most competitive and compelling motorsport on the planet to a growing and massive audience. We cannot wait to raise the curtain on the 2025 season with FOX.”

Coverage of all 2025 NTT IndyCar Series practice and qualifying sessions will be available on either FOX Sports 1 or FOX Sports 2. FOX Deportes will carry exclusive Spanish-language television coverage of the Indianapolis 500, with a more complete 2025 season schedule to be announced at a later date. Coverage schedule for the 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone championship, developmental series for the NTT IndyCar Series, will be announced soon.

FOX SPORTS’ 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES BROADCAST COVERAGE SCHEDULE

Sunday, March 2 _ Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. (FOX, Noon)*

Sunday, March 23 _The Thermal Club, Thermal, Calif.  (FOX, 3 p.m.)

Sunday, April 13 _ Streets of Long Beach, Calif. (FOX, 4:30 p.m.)

Sunday, May 4 _ Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Ala. (FOX, 1:30 p.m.)

Saturday, May 10 _ Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road-Course (FOX, 4:30 p.m.)

Sunday, May 25 _ Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oval (FOX, 10 a.m.)

Sunday, June 1 _ Streets of Detroit (FOX, 12:30 p.m.)

Sunday, June 15 _ World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, Ill. (FOX, 3 p.m.)

Sunday, June 22 _ Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis. (FOX, 3:30 p.m.)

Sunday, July 6 _ Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington (FOX, 2 p.m.)

Saturday, July 12 _ Iowa Speedway, Newton, Race 1 (FOX, 5 p.m.)

Sunday, July 13 _ Iowa Speedway, Newton, Race 2 (FOX, 2 p.m.)

Sunday, July 20 _ Streets of Toronto, Canada (FOX, 2 p.m.)

Sunday, July 27 _ WeatherTech Raceway, Laguna Seca, Monterey, Calif. (FOX, 3 p.m.)

Sunday, Aug. 10 _ Portland (Ore.) International Raceway (FOX, 3 p.m.)

Sunday, Aug. 24 _ The Milwaukee Mile, West Allis, Wis. (FOX, 2 p.m.)

Sunday, Aug. 31 _ Nashville Superspeedway, Lebanon, Tenn. (2:30 p.m.)

*NOTE _ All times Eastern. Dates and times subject to change.

Final 2024 NTT IndyCar Series point standings _ 1, Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing, 544; 2, Colton Herta, Andretti Global, 513; 3, Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske, 505; 4, Will Power, Team Penske, 498; 5, Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren, 460; 6, Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing, 456; 7, Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global, 420; 8, Josef Newgarden, Team Penske, 401; 9, Santino Ferrucci, A.J. Foyt Racing, 367; 10, Alexander Rossi, Arrow McLaren, 366;

11, Christian Lundgaard, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 312; 12, Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing, 306; 13, Rinus VeeKay, Ed Carpenter Racing, 300; 14, Marcus Armstrong, Chip Ganassi Racing, 298; 15, Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global, 297; 16, Linus Lundqvist, Chip Ganassi Racing, 279; 17, Romain Grosjean, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 260; 18, Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 251; 19, Pietro Fittipaldi, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 186; 20, Sting Ray Robb, A.J. Foyt Racing, 185;

21, Kyffin Simpson, Chip Ganassi Racing, 182; 22, Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing, 163; 23, Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren, 154; 24, David Malukas, Meyer Shank Racing, 148; 25, Jack Harvey, Dale Coyne Racing, 143; 26, Conor Daly, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 119; 27, Augustin Canapino, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 109; 28, Theo Pourchaire, Arrow McLaren, 91; 29, Katherine Legge, Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing, 61; 30, Tom Blomqvist, Meyer Shank Racing, 46;

31, Ed Carpenter, Ed Carpenter Racing, 45; 32, Toby Sowery, Dale Coyne Racing, 45; 33, Callum Ilott, Arrow McLaren, 39; 34, Luca Ghiotto, Dale Coyne Racing, 27; 35, Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing, 26; 36, Kyle Larson, Hendrickcars.com Arrow McLaren, 21; 37, Takuma Sato, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 19; 38, Tristan Vautier, Dale Coyne Racing, 12; 39, Juri Vips, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 11; 40, Colin Braun, Dale Coyne Racing, 10;

41, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing-Cusick Motorsports, 6; 42, Hunter McElrea, Dale Coyne Racing, 6; 43, Marco Andretti, Andretti Herta with Marco & Curb Agajanian, 5.