INDYCAR CEO Mark Miles has been full of ambition when it comes to expanding the fan base of his fantastic sport. In several interviews over the past eighteen months, he has expressed his intention to broaden the international appeal of the NTT IndyCar Series.

No wonder: the series has added several foreign drivers in recent years and in an era where many fans live online, it is easier than ever to build a global audience. The batch of new international broadcasting deals signed in the past two years are a testament to INDYCAR’s ambition and very welcome indeed.

Yet not everything has improved and one area in particular stands out: the fact that fans outside the US cannot watch practice sessions is a disappointment, especially when it comes to the Indy 500, and a big step back compared to only a few years ago. It is also rather baffling.

After all, INDYCAR used to be a front runner in online streaming for many years (while Formula 1 for a long time had no online presence to speak of). But those tables seem to have turned in recent times, which is a saddening development and a missed opportunity.

It started last year, when INDYCAR entered the first year of its exclusive TV contract with NBC, as well as with several other national broadcasters in countries around the globe. Before that, practice sessions for each NTT IndyCar Series event were freely available to watch on YouTube and INDYCAR’s social channels.

Then the new TV deal came, and this service was spiked. US viewers were directed towards the NBC Gold streaming service, where they could now view practice sessions after paying the required NBC Gold fee. So far, so understandable as INDYCAR seeks to monetize its product. However, non-US viewers like myself were left out in the cold as an international streaming service did not materialize and local TV deals only included qualifying and race broadcasts.

As the Month of May arrived in 2019, I started asking questions via social media. I even managed to briefly annoy a certain veteran reporter, because I tried to enlist him in my faltering campaign to get INDYCAR’s attention and slightly flooded his mentions (I think we’re okay now). Either way: it was to no avail, and watching 2019 Indy 500 practice from outside the US became pretty much impossible.

Fast forward a year and some months, and not much (read: nothing) has changed. As the start of the 2020 Indy 500 approached, I reignited my inquiries. In recent days, I have been in contact with representatives of the official, licensed broadcasters in Sweden and the Netherlands (full disclosure: I am a Dutchman living in Sweden).

Given the recent arrival and successes of Marcus Ericsson, Felix Rosenqvist and Rinus VeeKay, there is a fast-growing fan interest in the NTT IndyCar Series in these countries. In Sweden, IndyCar racing is arguably more popular than Formula 1 right now, and even the most casual or new fan knows that the Indy 500 is THE race to watch.

The Dutch remain F1 mad because of Max Verstappen, but the Orange Army also has a knack for supporting their countrymen wherever they compete. Rinus VeeKay is no exception. Last month, during the Road America race weekend, #IndyCar was a trending hashtag in the Netherlands. Trending! In the Netherlands!

Yet neither of the aforementioned broadcasters (Viasat in Sweden, Ziggo Sport in the Netherlands) will be showing this week’s practice sessions at the Speedway. Not because they don’t want to, but because they are relying on the world feed from NBC and INDYCAR, and the world feed does not include practice sessions.

From Mexico, my Champweb colleagues have received the same information: yes, fans of Patricio O’Ward will be able to watch qualifying and the race, but not practice. And at the time of writing, the online time table for Sky Sports F1 (the official rights holder in Britain) also does not feature any planned broadcasts of Indy 500 practice. Sorry, Max Chilton and Jack Harvey fans.

Finally, rather than taking to social media immediately, this time around I actually fielded a formal inquiry with INDYCAR’s press office. My question was really simple: is there any information about plans for broadcasting practice sessions outside the US? At the time of writing, I have yet to receive a response.

The thing is, it should be possible. The cameras are there, and NBC is there to produce a broadcast for its domestic NBC Gold audience. So why not pass that feed along to foreign rights holders, or create a YouTube stream for non-US viewers? Geo-blocking technology is available to avoid cannibalizing on NBC’s Gold product. Road to Indy TV has done it with Indy Lights, so surely INDYCAR can do it as well?

I know that money and personnel is tight at INDYCAR right now. I know that the majority of its audience is in the United States. But still. There is so much potential for IndyCar to boost its audience and engagement outside of the US. Swedes, Dutchies, Brits, Mexicans and other nationalities are well-represented in the NTT IndyCar Series, creating lots of growth potential. And more eyeballs means more commercial opportunities for its cash-strapped teams.

Making practice sessions available to that audience seems a very easy thing to do, for all the reasons listed above. Unfortunately, from time to time INDYCAR seems to regard its foreign fan base as a bit of an afterthought. No doubt I’m biased, but that feels like a missed opportunity.