For the first time since 2016, the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge achieved a full grandstand sellout in 2025, marking another milestone for an event long known as “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials confirmed that all reserved seats, including every grandstand location and suite ticket, were officially sold out in advance of Race Day on Sunday, May 25.
“As promised, the very best fans in sports have delivered in fitting fashion for the stars of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and every last reserved seat ticket has been sold,” INDYCAR SERIES and IMS President J. Douglas Boles said.
The sellout triggered another significant outcome: the lifting of the local television blackout in Central Indiana. The blackout policy, in place since 1951, prevents the live broadcast from airing locally unless the race sells out. With every reserved seat claimed, Indianapolis-area fans were able to watch the broadcast live for the first time since 2016 under the traditional sellout criteria.
The lifting of the blackout has occurred only a handful of times. The 2016 edition, celebrating the 100th Running, became the first in history to lift the blackout due to a full sellout. In 2020 and 2021, the blackout was lifted under unusual circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic. No spectators were permitted in 2020, and the restricted-capacity crowd in 2021 allowed the track to declare its available allotment sold, clearing the way for local broadcast access.
More recently, the 2024 race also aired live in Central Indiana, but under different conditions. A lengthy weather delay left thousands of fans unable to remain at the Speedway, prompting IMS to lift the blackout so that those supporters could still watch the race from home.
This year’s race also marked the highly anticipated first Indianapolis 500 broadcast on FOX Sports, adding another layer of significance to the sellout. The network’s debut aligned perfectly with the renewed surge in demand for Race Day seats, creating a crossroads of historic attendance, national broadcast energy and a growing INDYCAR SERIES audience.
With full grandstands, a lifted blackout and a new broadcast era, the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 showcased not only the event’s enduring appeal but also the strength and enthusiasm of its fanbase, proving once again why it remains one of the world’s premier sporting traditions.
