ESPN on ABC’s live telecast of the Indianapolis 500 will be in high definition, a first for the race. The broadcast is part of ESPN’s multi-platform coverage of The Month of May at Indy.
The 91st annual Indy 500 will be held on Sunday, May 27th at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with the telecast beginning at noon. The qualifying rounds on both weekends will also be in HD on ABC and ESPN2, and GoDaddy.com will be the presenting sponsor for ESPN and ABC’s coverage of Indianapolis 500 Pole Day, Bump Day, and the Indianapolis 500.
“The start of the Indianapolis 500 is one of the most dramatic moments in sports, and providing flag-to-flag coverage of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing in High Definition will add to our viewers’ enjoyment of the race,” said John Wildhack, ESPN executive vice president, programming and acquisitions.
ESPN on ABC’s lead announcer for coverage will be Marty Reid, joined by former IndyCar Series driver Scott Goodyear and 1989 NASCAR champion Rusty Wallace. Pit reporting will be handled by Jack Arute, Jamie Little, Brienne Pedigo and Vince Welch, and Brent Musburger will host the telecast.
"One of the most frequent requests from our fans is a high-definition telecast of the Indianapolis 500, and we're thrilled to fulfill that demand,” said Joie Chitwood, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president and chief operating officer. "This will bring home the color, pageantry and excitement of 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing' in vivid detail to the ever-growing numbers of homes with HD sets."
Drivers will run for the pole position this Saturday with coverage in HD, and ABC and ESPN2 will have five hours of live coverage of time trials beginning at noon ET. The second day of Indianapolis 500 time trials on Sunday will bring more than three additional hours of live coverage from ESPN2.
