Fox Sports Boosts IndyCar Broadcast with Bandwidth Upgrade

New 10-gig fiber optic cables enable expanded use of Driver's Eye cameras, enhanced audio, and data-driven graphics.

Feb. 26, 2026 at 4:34pm

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Fox Sports is investing in an upgraded viewer experience for its second season broadcasting IndyCar, which includes a significant infrastructure upgrade. The 2026 season will feature more widespread use of the Driver's Eye camera, enhanced audio, data-driven augmented reality graphics, and cinematic edits, all enabled by the installation of new 10-gig pipes of fiber optic cables to support the necessary bandwidth at every track.

Why it matters

The bandwidth boost allows Fox Sports to enhance the IndyCar viewing experience with innovative broadcast technologies like the Driver's Eye camera, which provides a first-person perspective from inside the race cars. This helps bring fans closer to the action and creates a more immersive experience. The improved audio and data-driven graphics also elevate the production quality and storytelling capabilities.

The details

Fox Sports worked with Lumen Technologies to install the new 10-gig fiber optic cables, which enable a distributed production workflow and reduce the need for on-site personnel. The Driver's Eye camera will now be used by six drivers at every race, up from four last year. There will also be 14 cars equipped with two in-car camera streams per race. The enhanced audio comes from rearranging the placement of the two microphones on each car. Fox Sports is also collaborating with Mobii to automate the insertion of car telemetry data as graphical overlays.

  • The 2026 IndyCar season begins this weekend in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The players

Fox Sports

The television network that holds a one-third stake in the IndyCar property and is investing in an upgraded broadcast experience for the 2026 season.

Lumen Technologies

The company that worked with Fox Sports and IndyCar to install the new 10-gig fiber optic cables at each race track.

Broadcast Sports International

The NEP-owned company assisting with the deployment of the expanded in-car camera systems for the 2026 IndyCar season.

Mobii

The company collaborating with Fox Sports to automate the insertion of car telemetry data as graphical overlays during the broadcasts.

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What they’re saying

“One of the big surprises for IndyCar was that there was no connectivity, and what we had was just rudimentary internet. What the 10-gig pipe does -- and obviously it's nothing that the viewer will see manifest as a screen-born kind of thing -- but it'll just raise the bar and allow us to think about leaning on our distributed workflow that we do for NASCAR or football or anything else.”

— Michael Davis, EVP, Fox Sports

“Driver's eye is one of the more seminal looks in all of motor sports. We tried it in NASCAR for a variety of reasons. It died on the vine, but open cockpit racing is amazing for Driver's Eye and we've gotten a lot of buy-in from the drivers. People in motorsports are increasingly wanting to see their sports broadcast from the inside-out instead of the outside-in to get those real video game views to feel the rattle of what a driver is going through.”

— Michael Davies, EVP, Fox Sports

“The biggest audio enhancement that we had was something so simple that we were astonished by how effective it was. All we did was take one of them and put them upfront in the nose and put the other one a little bit further back. And what was amazing about that was that you were able to hear things that you hadn't heard before. You were able to hear the rumble strips when cars crashed, you were able to hear them kind of come apart.”

— Michael Davies, EVP, Fox Sports

What’s next

The next generation IndyCar racer is scheduled to be unveiled in 2028, which could provide even more opportunities to enhance the broadcast experience with additional video and audio options.

The takeaway

Fox Sports' investment in upgraded broadcast infrastructure for IndyCar, including high-bandwidth fiber optic cables and innovative camera and audio technologies, demonstrates the network's commitment to elevating the viewing experience and bringing fans closer to the action on the track.