List of Indianapolis 500 broadcasters

The

Currently, the television voice of the Indy 500 is Leigh Diffey, who has been working the race since NBC took over in 2019. The last television voice of the Indy 500 for ABC was Allen Bestwick, who held the position from 2014 to 2018. Past television anchors include Chris Schenkel, Jim McKay, Keith Jackson, Jim Lampley, Paul Page, Bob Jenkins, Todd Harris, and Marty Reid.^[7] Other longtime fixtures of the broadcast include Jack Arute, Sam Posey, Jackie Stewart, Bobby Unser, and Jerry Punch.

On August 10, 2011, ABC extended their exclusive contract to carry the Indianapolis 500 through 2018.

In 2019, the Indianapolis 500 moved to NBC, as part of a new three-year contract that unifies the IndyCar Series' television rights with NBC Sports (the parent division of IndyCar's current cable partner NBCSN), and replaces the separate package of five races broadcast by ABC. The Indianapolis 500 is one of eight races televised by NBC as part of the new deal, which ended ABC's 54-year tenure as broadcaster of the event.^[10][11][12] WTHR is the local broadcaster of the race under this contract; the existing blackout policy is expected to continue should the race not sell out.^[13] As no spectators were allowed for the 2020 Indianapolis 500, the race was aired live in the Indianapolis market.

Live coverage

NBC era

• Dillon Welch is the first second-generation broadcaster to be involved in the race telecast. His father Vince worked the race in the ABC era until 2014.

ABC era

• Starting in 1986, the race was shown live in its entirety. The 1986 race, however, was postponed for six days due to rain.
• From
  season
  .
• Rupert Boneham once worked as part of the ABC Sports production crew at Indy.^[23]

ABC-TV live telecast gallery

• 
  Scott Goodyear
• 
  Lindsay Czarniak
• 
  Eddie Cheever
• 
  Brent Musburger
• 
  Paul Page
• 
  Al Michaels
• 
  Jamie Little
• 
  Bob Jenkins
• 
  Jack Arute
• 
  Danny Sullivan
• 
  Gary Gerould
• 
  Bobby Unser
• 
  Marty Reid
• 
  Arie Luyendyk
• 
  Rusty Wallace
• 
  Larry Rice
• 
  Jason Priestley
• 
  Jerry Punch

Same-day tape delay coverage

From

• In 1973, Jackie Stewart was scheduled to be the color commentator. The race however, was red flagged on Monday due to the Salt Walther crash, and rain delayed the start until Wednesday. Stewart was unable to stay for the race running on Wednesday since he was due to compete the following weekend as a driver in the Grand Prix of Monaco, so Chris Economaki took his place.
• In 1974 and 1976, Due to the Indy 500 and Monaco Grand Prix clashing on the same weekend. Jackie Stewart did pre recorded features at Indy during qualifying week which were aired on race day before going to Monaco to cover the grand prix for ABC.
• In 1971 Chris Schenkel was supposed to be the telecast host, but was injured when the pace car crashed coming into the pits at the start of the race.
• In 1971, a young David Letterman, who then worked at ABC's then-Indianapolis affiliate WLWI-TV, was one of the roving turn reporters.

Wide World of Sports & closed-circuit coverage

Race commentary for

The Indianapolis 500 was first broadcast on television from 1949 to 1950 on WFBM (now WRTV) in Indianapolis. It was done to boost sales of television sets. At the time, there was consideration for the race to be broadcast nationally by 1951 or 1952, possibly through a network syndication arrangement originating through WFBM.^[26][27] After two years, however, the Speedway management decided to eliminate live television coverage, fearful that live local television coverage would hurt gate attendance. Likewise, the cost to expand the broadcast nationally was considered prohibitive.^[27] For 1951, WFBM-TV was permitted to televise time trials live, but not the race itself.^[28][29] In future years, local live coverage of time trials would continue in various forms, but the race itself was to be blacked out in the Indianapolis area. Only twice (2016 and 2021) would the local blackout be lifted on race day.

Time trials and practice

ABC carried highlights of time trials for the first time in 1961.^[2] ABC continued to cover time trials exclusively through the 1970s and early 1980s. In 1987 ESPN began covering portions of time trials. From 1987 to 2008, time trials was aired over a combination of ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2, in varying levels of air time. From 2009 to 2013, time trials was aired on Versus/NBCSN. Time trials returned to ABC in 2014-2018. NBC and NBCSN have aired time trials since 2019.

In 1993, ESPN began covering daily practice session, with a wrap-up show each afternoon. The "Indy Live Daily Reports" continued through 2006, and in some years were packaged as part of RPM 2Night or