| IndyCar Series on ABC | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Also known as | IndyCar Series on ESPN |
| Genre | Auto racing telecasts |
| Presented by | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 180 minutes or until race ends |
| Production company | ESPN on ABC |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | May 31, 1965 (1965-05-31) – June 3, 2018 (2018-06-03) |
| Related | |
TheIndyCar Series on ABC, also known as theIndyCar Series on ESPN, was the branding used for coverage of theIndyCar Series produced byESPN, and formerly broadcast onABC television network in the United States (through itsESPN on ABC division) between 1965 and 2018.
ABC first began airing races that are now part of the IndyCar Series in1965 with that year's running of theIndianapolis 500 on itsWide World of Sportsanthology series,[1] with the network having broadcast the 500 every year until 2019.
By the late 1980s, ABC carried many of theCART PPG IndyCar World Series races that supported the Indy 500. In late 1987,Paul Page was recruited fromNBC Sports to joinBobby Unser (who worked with Paul at NBC) andSam Posey in the broadcast booth to form what remains as one of the most memorable trios in American auto racing broadcasting. Page provided enthusiasm (and popular Indy 500 intros with the theme music fromDelta Force), Unser his unmistakable directness, and Posey his signature artistic and poetic perspective of the sport. In 1989 and 1990, their presentation of the Indy 500 earned the network the Sports Emmy for the year'sOutstanding Live Sports Special. By then, their pit reporters wereJack Arute,Gary Gerould, and Dr.Jerry Punch. All 6 men were often on ABC's broadcasts of theInternational Race of Champions and of NASCAR Winston Cup.
In 1996,Indianapolis Motor Speedway PresidentTony George led a group of breakaway owners in the founding of theIndy Racing League, with the 500 being its premier event. ABC added coverage of IRL races to the 500, and continued to broadcast CART Championship races through2001. From the league's inception in 1996 through 2008,ESPN andESPN2 also each carried several of the IndyCar Series,[2] before losing the cable television rights to the series to Versus (nowNBCSN).[3] ABC and ESPN were IndyCar's exclusive television partners from 2000 to 2008.[4] Despite losing the cable rights, on August 10, 2011, ESPN renewed ABC's end of its broadcast deal with the league through 2018.[5]
Under that contract the network typically aired five races annually,[5] though it had occasionally aired six during the season.[6] In 2014, ABC celebrated its 50th consecutive broadcast of the Indianapolis 500.
ABC's coverage of the2013 Firestone 550 atTexas Motor Speedway was the firstprime time broadcast of IndyCar racing for the network.[7] At the2017 Indianapolis 500, ABC introduced "Race Strategist" (which featured predictive analysis of race conditions) and first-person "visor cam" views fromGraham Rahal andJosef Newgarden.[8]
IndyCar fans who have criticized ESPN on ABC's race broadcasts have used "Always Bad Coverage" as a derisivebackronym pertaining to the poor quality of the ABC telecasts.[9]
On March 21, 2018,NBC Sports announced that it had acquired the television rights to the IndyCar Series (after previously serving as cable rightsholder throughNBCSN orCNBC for races not aired by ABC), replacing the package of races on ABC with a package of eight races onNBC, including the Indianapolis 500 (ending ABC's 54-year tenure as broadcaster of the event).[10][11]
ABC’s final IndyCar telecast was the second race of theDetroit Grand Prix on June 3, 2018.
Allen Bestwick was the lap-by-lap commentator while former IndyCar driversScott Goodyear andEddie Cheever served as color commentators.[12][13][14] Former driverJon Beekhuis andRick DeBruhl reported from the pits.
This includes ABC's coverage ofUSAC,CART and Champ Car, as well as IRL andINDYCAR-sanctioned races, from 1965 through 2018:
| Year | Date | Event | Track | Network | Coverage | Commentary | Pit Reporters | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lap-by-lap | Color | |||||||
| 1977 | March 27 |  Jimmy Bryan 150 | Phoenix | ABC | Live | Jim McKay | Jackie Stewart | Chris Economaki |
| April 30 | Trenton 200 | Trenton | ABC | Live | Jim McKay | Jackie Stewart | Chris Economaki | |
| May 29 | Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis | ABC | Delayed | Jim McKay | Jackie Stewart | Chris Economaki Bill Flemming | |
| September 17 | Gould Grand Prix | Michigan | ABC | Highlights | Jim McKay | Jackie Stewart | Chris Economaki | |
| 1978 | March 18 | Jimmy Bryan 150 | Phoenix | ABC | Live | Jim McKay | Sam Posey | Chris Economaki |
| April 23 | Gabriel 200 | Trenton | ABC | Live | Jim McKay | Jackie Stewart | Chris Economaki | |
| May 28 | Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis | ABC | Delayed | Jim McKay | Jackie Stewart | Chris Economaki Bill Flemming Sam Posey | |
| September 16 | Gould Grand Prix | Michigan | ABC | Highlights | Jim McKay | Jackie Stewart | Chris Economaki | |
| October 1 |  Daily Express Indy Silverstone | Silverstone | ABC | Highlights | Jim McKay | Jackie Stewart | Chris Economaki | |