Viewership Up For IndyCar

[Joe Starr]

Viewership up on NBC Sports Network

Viewership on NBC Sports Network through its two IZOD IndyCar Series race broadcasts is up 9 percent over the same number of races in 2011.

The 38th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 15 attracted 45 percent more viewers (468,000) than the 2011 race, according to the network. Will Power of Team Penske won the race by 0.8675 of a second over Simon Pagenaud of Schmidt Hamilton HP Motorsports.

NBC Sports Network is televising 10 IZOD IndyCar Series races this season, in addition to qualification shows, Indianapolis 500 qualifications and Carb Day coverage and the new "INDYCAR 36," which shadows and IZOD IndyCar Series driver for 36 hours.

The network will air the Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle on April 29 (noon ET). ABC is televising six races, including the 96th Indianapolis 500 on May 27.

IZOD IndyCar viewership on NBC Sports Network (formerly VERSUS) has grown by double digits each of the past two seasons.