Australian viewers lose live IndyCar coverage in Fox Sports deal

Fox Sports has acquired rights in Australia for the 2019 season of the IndyCar North American motor-racing series.

IndyCar is returning to Fox Sports after two years on rival pay-television broadcaster ESPN.

However, whereas most of the races were shown live on ESPN, Fox Sports is only planning on showing a one-hour highlights programme following races.

The deal was announced after IndyCar opted to establish its own in-house distribution arm. ESPN International had previously managed rights distribution for the series.

The 2019 IndyCar series begins this weekend in St. Petersburg, Florida, with Fox Sports broadcasting its highlights on Tuesday.