108th Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge – Pre-Race Coverage Begins Sunday at 11 a.m. ET on NBC, Peacock, and Universo
Last Sunday’s Indy 500 Qualifying was NBC Sports’ Most-Watched on Record with a TAD of 1.22 Million, Up 33% From 2023
Lead INDYCAR Announce Booth of Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell, and James Hinchcliffe to Call “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing”
Mike Tirico and Danica Patrick Return to Indy 500 as Host and Studio Analyst for Sixth Consecutive Year; Jimmie Johnson Joins Them for Pre-Race Coverage and Race Coverage atop Peacock Pit Box on Pit Lane
Marty Snider, Kevin Lee, Dave Burns, and Dillon Welch to Serve as Pit Reporters; Jeff Burton and Kim Coon to Serve as IMS Roaming Reporters
David Letterman Narrates Opening Tease
Scott McLaughlin on the Pole; Kyle Larson Races the Double; Josef Newgarden to Defend 2023 Victory
STAMFORD, Conn. – May 22, 2024 – The 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge from historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) takes place this Sunday, May 26, with coverage starting at 11 a.m. ET on NBC and Peacock (subject to local blackout restrictions).
Scott McLaughlin, coming off a top-10 finish in the Sonsio Grand Prix earlier this month to move into a sixth place tie in the points standings, won the Indy 500 pole position with an average speed of 234.220 mph and will lead the field to the green flag on Sunday. McLaughlin came in a career-best third in the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship.
In addition, 2023 Indy 500 champion Josef Newgarden attempts to defend his victory, two-time reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou aims to sweep the Month of May, after winning the Sonsio Grand Prix at IMS earlier this month, while veteran driver Takuma Sato looks to win his third Borg-Warner Trophy.
2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, who secured fifth position, is attempting the storied ‘Double,’ as he will race the Indy 500, fly to Charlotte, and then race NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 later that night for an astounding total of 1,100 total miles of racing in one day. Only one driver in history has successfully completed the feat (Tony Stewart, 2001) although many others have attempted it.
Five hours of live race day programming from IMS on Sunday will get underway with pre-race coverage beginning at 11 a.m. ET on NBC, Peacock, and Spanish-language cable network Universo, leading into race coverage starting at 12:30 p.m. ET.
The Indianapolis 500 will be called by NBC Sports’ lead INDYCAR announce booth of Leigh Diffey (play-by-play), Townsend Bell (analyst) and James Hinchcliffe (analyst). Diffey and Bell will call their sixth consecutive Indy 500s, while Hinchcliffe will return for his third Indy 500 in the broadcast booth.
Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and former Indy 500 competitor Jimmie Johnson will join NBC Sports’ pre-race and race coverage alongside Mike Tirico and Danica Patrick, who became the first woman to lead laps and earn a top-five finish in the Indianapolis 500 in 2005. After the broadcast, Johnson will fly to Charlotte Motor Speedway to drive in the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600, becoming the first person to complete the broadcast-driver double. Previously, Johnson contributed to NBC Sports’ studio coverage for The Greatest Spectacle in Racing in 2021.
Marty Snider, Kevin Lee, Dave Burns, and Dillon Welch will serve as pit reporters, with Jeff Burton and Kim Coon serving as roaming reporters, sharing the history and atmosphere of one of the most iconic raceways in the United States throughout the broadcast.
Bell and Hinchcliffe have combined to make 19 career Indy 500 starts. Bell registered a career-best fourth-place finish in 2009, while Hinchcliffe earned the pole position for the race in 2016 and has three career Top 10 finishes. In addition to the Indy 500, Diffey has also been the play-by-play voice of many of motorsports’ most prestigious events, including the Monaco Grand Prix, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
For more information on NBC Sports’ Indy 500 roster, click here.
Peacock is the exclusive home for practice, qualifying, warm up sessions and additional INDYCAR programming surrounding “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” For more information about Peacock’s comprehensive streaming coverage of the 2024 INDYCAR season and how to sign up, click here.
Oscar-nominated actor Austin Butler and Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress Jodie Comer of the upcoming Focus Features film The Bikeriders will serve as the Indy 500 honorary starters. Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. will serve as honorary Pace Car driver, with Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Jordin Sparks singing the National Anthem and American Idol winner Phillip Phillips performing “God Bless America.”
Exclusive coverage of Carb Day, the Indy 500 Parade, and Victory Celebration during race weekend will stream live on Peacock.
Host Veronica Rodriguez will join race announcers Sergio Rodriguez and Jaime Macias to provide Indy 500 commentary on Universo and streaming on TelemundoDeportes.com and the Telemundo Deportes app. Ariana Figuera will provide live reports from IMS.
Indy 500 pre-race coverage on NBC and Peacock will be highlighted by:
· Legendary late night host David Letterman voicing the open tease
· A look at Helio Castroneves’ “Drive for 5” aiming to become the first-ever five-time Indy 500 champion this Sunday
· A segment featuring an inside look at an INDYCAR racecar, giving viewers exclusive access like never before
· A look at McLaughlin and his throwback red fire suit paying homage to four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears
· Performances at the Snake Pit by Dom Dolla, Gryffin, Sullivan King, and Timmy Trumpet
Following is the remaining programming schedule for the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 and all events surrounding it over the next week across NBC, Peacock and Universo:
Fri., May 24 | Indy 500 Final Practice on Carb Day | Peacock | 11 a.m.-1 p.m. |
| Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge | Peacock | 2:30-4 p.m. |
Sat., May 25 | Indy 500 Parade | Peacock | 12-2 p.m. |
Sun., May 26 | Indy 500 Pre-Race | NBC, Peacock, Universo | 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. |
| 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 | NBC, Peacock, Universo | 12:30-4 p.m. |
Mon., May 27 | Indy 500 Victory Celebration | Peacock | 8:30-11 p.m. |
--NBC SPORTS--