2024 Indianapolis 500 is approaching attendance record

Business is booming shortly before the 108th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.

On Monday, Forbes contributor Bruce Martin reported less than 8,000 tickets are available before the race, meaning the Indy 500 is nearing its largest crowd since 350,000 fans attended in 2016.

Martin added Penske Entertainment, the subsidiary that owns IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, announced a partnership with technology conglomerate Cisco.

"The Penske Entertainment portfolio includes some of the marquee races and venues in all of motorsports," Cisco leader of global sports marketing Ashley Marusak said, via Martin. "And we are thrilled to build upon our existing customer relationship to continue to provide a wide range of Cisco technology solutions to meet the demands of their first-in-class properties."

Increased attendance and interest from sponsors bodes well for the racing series, which is entering the final year of its contract with NBC.
David Rumsey of Front Office Sports recently reported NBC wants to sign a new deal after IndyCar produced its best TV ratings in 12 years last season, averaging 1.32M viewers per race. 

However, the series is keeping its options open. IndyCar CEO Mark Miles told Rumsey it's also talking to Fox Sports. Expect it to sell to the highest bidder.

Whether IndyCar sticks with NBC or not, the sport is in a solid position. In April, Chris Kuc of Front Office Sports noted that 2024 TV ratings were up 34% over last year.

Plenty of fans should tune into "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" this weekend. It features several stars, including defending champion Josef Newgarden and NASCAR driver Kyle Larson, who's making his Indy 500 debut.