Get ready for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing”! The 2025 Indianapolis 500, more commonly called the Indy 500, is racing back to the Indianapolis Speedway on Sunday, May 25. And for business owners, this is a great opportunity to cater to race fans and draw in customers with the help of DIRECTV for BUSINESS. This article will tell you everything you need to know about the 2025 Indy 500 and how to make the race a win for your business.
Ready to learn more about DIRECTV for BUSINESS? Check out our packages today!
When Is the 2025 Indy 500?
The 109th Indianapolis 500 will be held on Sunday, May 25, 2025, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
What Is The Indy 500?
The Indianapolis 500 is an iconic event in IndyCar racing filled with time-honored traditions, like the singing of “Back Home Again in Indiana” and the celebratory swig of milk in Victory Lane. The annual 500-mile race dates back to 1911 and is always held over Memorial Day weekend. It’s become known as “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” as the top IndyCar drivers race at speeds of over 220 mph along the 2.5-mile-long course. The track is nicknamed the “Brickyard” because it was paved with brick in 1909. You can still see a strip of bricks at the start/finish line to this day.
Why Show The Indy 500 At Your Business?
The Indy 500 is one of the most popular races to watch in the U.S. According to SportsPro, the 2024 Indy 500 had an average of 5.34 million viewers on NBC, with a peak viewing audience of 6.46 million. This was an 8% increase from the 2023 Indy 500, which averaged 4.93 million viewers. It also broke a record as the most-streamed IndyCar race ever. These viewership numbers are especially impressive since rain delayed the 2024 race for nearly four hours.
Race fans will also be tuning in this year as Kyle Larson attempts to become the fifth driver to race in the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 in the same year. What makes this so difficult? Both races take place on the same day but in different states: Indiana and South Carolina. He attempted “The Double” in 2024, but the significant rain delay of the Indy 500 prevented him from being able to race in both events. Larson is hoping that this will be the year for him.
With high viewership numbers and the opportunity for Kyle Larson to make history, showing the Indy 500 is a great way to bring in customers and help you lap the competition.
2025 Indy 500 TV Schedule
The 2025 Indy 500 will be broadcast on Fox for the first time, with coverage starting at 10 a.m. ET and the race begins at 12:45 p.m. ET. Be sure you have DIRECTV for BUSINESS so you can bring the Indy 500 and all the other must-watch races to your customers.
Who is Racing in the 2025 Indy 500?
After back-to-back wins in 2023 and 2024, Josef Newgarden is looking to secure his third Indy 500 win. But it won’t be easy as the 2025 lineup is full of great IndyCar drivers all vying for the win. Check out the full lineup of drivers, their car number and team below:
|
Driver |
Car #
|
Team |
|
Josef Newgarden |
#2 |
Team Penske (Chevrolet) |
|
Scott McLaughlin |
#3 |
Team Penske (Chevrolet) |
|
Will Power |
#12 |
Team Penske (Chevrolet) |
|
Scott Dixon |
#9 |
Chip Ganassi Racing (Honda) |
|
Álex Palou |
#10 |
Chip Ganassi Racing (Honda) |
|
Kyffin Simpson |
#8 |
Chip Ganassi Racing (Honda) |
|
Pato O’Ward |
#5 |
Arrow McLaren (Chevrolet) |
|
Christian Lundgaard |
#7 |
Arrow McLaren (Chevrolet) |
|
Nolan Siegel |
#6 |
Arrow McLaren (Chevrolet) |
|
Kyle Larson |
#17 |
Arrow McLaren (Chevrolet) |
|
Colton Herta |
#26 |
Andretti Global (Honda) |
|
Kyle Kirkwood |
#27 |
Andretti Global (Honda) |
|
Marcus Ericsson |
#28 |
Andretti Global (Honda) |
|
Marco Andretti |
#98 |
Andretti Global (Honda) |
|
Graham Rahal |
#15 |
Rahal Letterman Lanigan (Honda) |
|
Devlin DeFrancesco |
#30 |
Rahal Letterman Lanigan (Honda) |
|
Louis Foster |
#45 |
Rahal Letterman Lanigan (Honda) |
|
Takuma Sato |
#75 |
Rahal Letterman Lanigan (Honda) |
|
Hélio Castroneves |
#06 |
Meyer Shank Racing (Honda) |
|
Felix Rosenqvist |
#60 |
Meyer Shank Racing (Honda) |
|
Marcus Armstrong |
#66 |
Meyer Shank Racing (Honda) |
|
Alexander Rossi |
#20 |
Ed Carpenter Racing (Chevrolet) |
|
Christian Rasmussen |
#21 |
Ed Carpenter Racing (Chevrolet) |
|
Ed Carpenter |
#33 |
Ed Carpenter Racing (Chevrolet) |
|
Santino Ferrucci |
#14 |
A. J. Foyt Racing (Chevrolet) |
|
David Malukas |
#4 |
A. J. Foyt Racing (Chevrolet) |
|
Rinus VeeKay |
#18 |
Dale Coyne Racing (Honda) |
|
Jacob Abel |
#51 |
Dale Coyne Racing (Honda) |
|
Conor Daly |
#76 |
Juncos Hollinger Racing (Chevy) |
|
Sting Ray Robb |
#77 |
Juncos Hollinger Racing (Chevy) |
|
Ryan Hunter-Reay |
#23 |
DRR-Cusick Motorsports (Chevy) |
|
Jack Harvey |
#24 |
DRR-Cusick Motorsports (Chevy) |
|
Robert Shwartzman |
#83 |
Prema Racing (Chevrolet) |
|
Callum Ilott |
#90 |
Prema Racing (Chevrolet) |
How to Promote the 2025 Indy 500 At Your Sports Bar or Restaurant
Here are a few things you can do to help make your bar or restaurant a go-to destination for the 2025 Indy 500.
- Host an Indy 500 Watch Party: Give fans a front-row seat to all of the high-speed excitement. Your business should have plenty of TVs, good audio and comfortable seating, so there’s not a bad seat in the house.
- Get Your Décor Up To Speed: Deck out your bar with racing décor, checkered tablecloths and other IndyCar memorabilia.
- Offer Race Day Specials: Draw in customers with checkered-flag-worthy food and drink specials.
- Rev Up The Excitement: Let your customers know they can watch the Indy 500 at your establishment by sending out emails and posting on social media to help generate excitement.
- Get customized materials with MVP: Order branded coasters, posters, banners and more with the MVP Marketing Program – all customized with your business name and logo.
Think Beyond Sports Bars
You don’t have to be a sports bar or restaurant owner to get value out of showing the Indy 500. Here are some examples of other types of businesses that can benefit from showing the race.
- Put the race on at your gym or fitness studio so members can watch as they exercise
- Entertain your auto or tire shop customers as they wait for their car
- Put the race on in your hotel lobby so travelers on the go can still catch the race
- Barber shop owners can entertain their clientele as they’re getting a haircut
Provide a Win For Your Business with DIRECTV
Being able to bring your customers must-watch events like the Indy 500 is just the beginning with DIRECTV for BUSINESS. DIRECTV delivers the highest value with the best programming, cutting-edge tech and top-rated customer satisfaction. And with 99% worry-free signal reliability, you’ll never have to worry about your customers missing a second of the action. DIRECTV for BUSINESS also gives businesses hassle-free customer service and free standard professional installation. Plus, DIRECTV’s Sports Bar Finder provides an easy way for fans to find bars that offer DIRECTV. Call 888.303.9117 to get started today!
