KSP is preparing for Super Bowl LIX with a new playbook: Here are some tips troopers suggest
MOREHEAD, Ky. (FOX 56) — With Super Bowl Sunday around the corner, Kentucky State Police (KSP) is preparing to prevent disaster across the Commonwealth's roads before crashes and other hazards occur.
RELATED l Here's where KSP will be conducting traffic safety checkpoints to kick off February
The Kentucky State Police Department's game plan, called Operation CARE (Crash Awareness Reduction Effort), is a national initiative that focuses on reducing traffic crashes and preventing impaired driving, with the hopes of making the roads safer for everyone.
KSP's Operation CARE will involve troopers focusing their efforts on potential traffic crimes such as speeding, impaired or distracted driving, and failing to wear seatbelts before they can lead to a crash or worse.
To help drivers 'score a win' for safety, state police offered a few tips in a news release on Friday:
Have a 'game plan': If you plan to drink during your Super Bowl festivities, arrange a designated driver, call a ride-sharing service, or stay overnight at your host's house.
Make sure to wear your seatbelt
Move over for first responders and emergency vehicles. Kentucky's Slow Down, Move Over Law requires drivers to switch lanes or slow down to ensure safety.
Stay focused and keep distractions like phones 'on the sidelines' while driving. Stay alert and keep your eyes on the road.
Changes coming to Kentucky's 'Slow Down, Move Over' law: What you can expect on the highways
Troopers asked that if you spot someone driving dangerously, report it to your nearest KSP Post or call local law enforcement. You can find the nearest post with this map.
'KSP asks citizens to join the team to ensure everyone's Super Bowl celebration ends with cheers, not tears,' troopers said. 'We can all enjoy the big game safely by following these tips and staying vigilant.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Indianapolis Star
2 days ago
- Indianapolis Star
Fox's Indy 500 broadcast hit 17-year high. What happens next is important for IndyCar's growth
INDIANAPOLIS — IndyCar's TV ratings smash success for this year's Indianapolis 500, the first time the average audience for a broadcast of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing has topped 7 million since 2008, is premier evidence that a sport that has in many ways been on slow but consistently downward-trending spiral since "the split" 30 years ago can once again rise to national prominence. But the Month of May showed, too, that bold, radical change — not the sport's historically business-savvy, penny-pinching mindset that has helped keep it afloat or riding minuscule single-digit gains of late — are needed to get it there. Michael Andretti, publicly and privately scolded for his bold, on-the-record quotes 15 months ago that the sport needed a $100 million influx in funding to tackle IndyCar's myriad issues, didn't then, and doesn't now, seem so far off. Because after my rewatch this week, Fox's broadcast of the Indy 500 was most successful in its moments where it felt the most different to editions in recent years: the pre-race show. It felt at times as if I had time-traveled to a cool, fall Saturday morning set of ESPN's "College Gameday," featuring multiple intricate sets, a deep cast of knowledgeable on-air talent with diverse backgrounds and specialties, a raucous, sometimes seemingly unending crowd flanking them and sprinkles of both live, in-person interviews and pre-taped feature pieces that ran the gamut of emotions. It was everything Fox's Super Bowl pre-game show was earlier this year, with the benefit of being a reasonable length that someone actually might want to sit all the way through and absorb. It was subtly educational — from features on fans and the blue envelopes to drones flying all over and showing just how stinkin' big the place is — without dumbing down the content. It spoke to and highlighted, either in short live hits, segments of thematic features or full-blown profile segments — well over a dozen drivers, some of them at enough length that had you not known them at all before, you might have reason to root for them now. Was it all a slam dunk? With the over-the-top spots with Gronk, the multiple messed up row-by-row factoids and the unnecessary AI "Michael Strahan the racecar driver" segment, certainly not. But for those not at the track that morning, it made you feel as if you were right in Pagoda Plaza, told stories that kept a variety of levels of race fans engaged and helped build both the tension and the pageantry that showed full and well why the 500 is regarded as the biggest race in the world. It properly set the stage in a way that made someone like me who's so deeply ingrained in the sport that this show was for a sport that for years now has only fielded $20 million to $25 million annually in rights fees and one that through five previous races in 2025 had only two draw average audiences on network TV above 715,000. And with a pre-race audience that neared 3 million, it helped build a base that saw this year's 500 finish with an audience of 7.087 million — one that topped the corresponding year's Daytona 500 (albeit one that featured a rain delay of more than three hours) for just the second time in 30 years and drew the largest U.S. motorsports audience in more than two years. That audience figure, too, represented 40% growth year over year, the type of leap in audience the 500 has seen only two other times in more than 20 years: 2005, for Danica Patrick's rookie race (60% increase, 6.08 million to 9.74 million); and 2021, for the post-COVID-19 race (53% increase, 3.67 million to 5.63 million). And for a race that hadn't sniffed an average of audience above 6 million since 2016 and that saw just an 11% year-over-year audience increase from ABC (2018) to NBC (2019) that delivered a much less-radical broadcast overhaul, Fox's all-out blitz, from its promotional plan that began last fall to its out-of-the-park pre-race show can be the only thing that would reasonably explain such a leap. More 500s like this in the future will undoubtedly represent notable, impactful paydays for IndyCar teams from a sponsorship standpoint. Indy 500 partner programs that might've required budgets from $1.2 million to $1.5 million, or even $2 million for teams not overly looking to run an extra car, could transform over the next few months as budgets are prepared for 2026 and, for the first time in several years, teams might be able to seek higher sponsorship dollars for reasons other than covering steeply rising costs. But until the rest of the calendar and the sport can transform in the ways in which IndyCar seemingly did for more than six hours Sunday, it will continue to fall short of its potential. Outside a home run of a season opener that drew more than 1.4 million viewers across Fox's race broadcast, IndyCar had yet to reach even 920,000 (Barber was second highest at 914,000) until the 500 in a season that, heading into Sunday, was riding a 15% year-over-year boost almost entirely attributed to that big-hit season opener and a Long Beach broadcast that only barely topped a dismal 550,000, but came in the wake of one a year prior broadcast on cable (NBC's USA Network) that only marginally even topped 300,000 and that in 2023 surpassed 1 million on NBC. In short, its gains from one truly notable win, along with another couple marginal wins and notable losses had painted an uncertain picture as to where exactly the sport's momentum was trending. Insider: He played hooky to attend the Indy 500, owns a bar outside IMS and leads Fox's coverage At-race attendance for several years now has been trending upwards at several of the sport's biggest races — indicative of both a growing diehard fanbase as well as more casual fans willing to give IndyCar a shot when it rolls through town — but with average network TV audiences largely stagnant over the course of the NBC-only era, the latter suggested the sport wasn't doing enough to create buzz and give an increasing number of fans a reason to make the sport a weekly priority. If IndyCar was the only thing on, or it was the opener, or a finale, or a race with a great lead-in or the first at a new track, you could count on solid returns. But up against stiff competition and without a pressing reason to tune in — or a marketing campaign that ever really broke into mainstream culture, until this year — there continued to be far too many races that suggested in those instances it was for little more than its aging diehard fanbase. Not that IndyCar need expect any other race to even sniff 500 numbers, but other races making, and holding onto, year over year, similar annual increases is where this sport has an opportunity turn the corner and be one where teams aren't merely grinding to break even. And what does that look like? Fox's game plan of practice and qualifying on cable TV, along with incorporating IndyCar into the core of its news, sports and entertainment programming is a notable start, but it's more than that. Each race needs to feel like an event, like something special. You can't have a 17-race schedule where half of them feel as if they're a Wednesday stop on a concert tour. 'Come on man': Indianapolis 500 viewers aren't happy with the amount of commercials on Fox If you ask me purely as a viewer of both, Formula races continue to pretty consistently out rate IndyCar broadcasts because each and every one feels big and important, from the length of pre-race shows to the grid walks, the storytelling and the extensive post-race broadcast that makes the achievement of the winning team and driver and their podium-mates feel grand. And in between, the broadcasts are proactively finding the battles on track and creating storylines. Not only is the timing and scoring technology a storytelling tool in and of itself, but its … reliable. And elsewhere in The CW's fresh take on the NASCAR Xfinity series and Amazon Prime's debut with the Cup series' Coca-Cola 600, the broadcasts have felt fresh, sleek and grandiose. In IndyCar, this looks like far more tentpole events on the calendar, beyond the addition of next year's Grand Prix of Arlington. It means Mexico City and Denver and perhaps a rethink of IndyCar's stops in central California or the Pacific Northwest. It means a race at a major venue in the northeast. It means more ovals that come with even a quarter of the importance that Sunday's 500 came packaged with. It means nighttime oval races in primetime, like the one we're getting in two weeks at World Wide Technology Raceway, but one that notably wasn't scheduled until it became clear IndyCar was struggling mightily whenever it faced NASCAR competition. It means a wholesale new car completely redesigned with the future in mind, ideally one not only capable of holding onto Honda but attracting a third manufacturer that has visions of longevity in the sport and a history of motorsports success, even if the price tag is high. Together, all of that contributes to a sport that's far more exciting than the current product on track and one that feels important and grandiose off of it, which leads to a growing fan base that triggers increased sponsorship interest and eventually a flywheel that feeds itself. Because even Sunday, as many people clearly felt the Indy 500 was worth tuning into, represented a largely uneventful back half of a race with miniscule amounts of passing up at the front — most notably a lead pack of drivers with the fastest cars in the field underneath them who couldn't pass the 14th- and 15th-place challengers that had qualified 18th and 22nd and survived a race that featured exceedingly high levels of attrition. And so 8.4 million fans, both diehard and exceedingly casual, were drawn to a down-to-the-wire 500 finish that featured as little drama as the race has seen in years, in many ways because of a car that has received piecemeal updates for 14 years. How many of them were so compelled by what they saw that they'll make Sunday's Detroit Grand Prix appointment viewing? Perhaps a better question: How many times, if ever, was the next race on the calendar plugged? I'll be happy to be told I somehow missed several instances, but none immediately come to mind. After all, how successful, ultimately, is a restaurant's highly publicized grand-opening that featured commercials and fliers and social media ads and a live band out front to coronate the occasion, if the food alone isn't good enough to pack the place for weeks to come? Without question, this Indianapolis 500 lived in another stratosphere than it's occupied, outside his 100th running, than any in recent memory. From sold-out trendy, high-quality pieces of merch from mainstream brands to a Carb Day crowd that may never have been so big to the grandstand sellout and the historically high TV numbers, the 109th Indy 500 should be seen as nothing other than evidence IndyCar can go to battle with its rivals. And though it took an ill-timed February storm to do it, the fact more folks made the IndyCar's 500 appointment TV than NASCAR's is something that can't and shouldn't be ignored.
Business Upturn
3 days ago
- Business Upturn
Verizon Dominates Indy 500 Data Connectivity
INDIANAPOLIS, May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The 2025 Indianapolis 500 race set a new milestone for data usage and connection at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the Verizon network. In just one day, inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a total of 172 terabytes (TB) of data was used on the Verizon network, more than we've ever seen on the network at this race and one of the highest data usage events Verizon has ever recorded. 'Connecting a city's worth of fans at the Indy 500, with more unique users than the Super Bowl had attendees, is a massive undertaking, putting unprecedented demand on wireless networks. We had more data running on our network than any previous NFL draft, and nearly twice the data of any Super Bowl in recorded history. The work and skill that goes into setting up a network to keep hundreds of thousands of people connected in one place is an incredible achievement. It's the dedication from our teams that ensures our customers don't have to worry about their phones during this event, no matter the scope,' said Andy Brady, President of Verizon Great Lakes. 'The unprecedented data usage we witnessed during the 2025 Indy 500 highlights the incredible passion and engagement of our fans,' said Doug Boles, President of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 'The ability for fans to share their experiences in real-time through Verizon's robust network significantly enhances the event's atmosphere and global reach. This level of connectivity is crucial for modern sports experiences, and we're thrilled to partner with Verizon to deliver it.' The data doesn't just speak for itself; it shouts. Verizon's network experienced an extraordinary surge at the 2025 Indy 500, with 5G Ultrawideband (UW) playing a dominant role. To put 172 TB into context, that's equivalent to more than 57 million digital photos (3 MB average). Here are the amazing results: Explosive 5G Growth: A staggering 74.6% leap in 5G UW volume of 61 TB inside the track over last year's race (43 TB), revealing how fans are embracing the speed and capacity of 5G. A staggering 74.6% leap in 5G UW volume of 61 TB inside the track over last year's race (43 TB), revealing how fans are embracing the speed and capacity of 5G. Surging Overall Traffic: A massive 48.5% increase in total combined 4G and 5G UW data volume inside IMS, proving the network's capability to handle the intense demand. A massive 48.5% increase in total combined 4G and 5G UW data volume inside IMS, proving the network's capability to handle the intense demand. High fan engagement: 15 TB of the 61 TB used inside the track was uploaded data, highlighting the high levels of fans sharing in real time. 15 TB of the 61 TB used inside the track was uploaded data, highlighting the high levels of fans sharing in real time. Surrounding Network Impact: Outside the track, more than 111 TB of data volume was used on the network, showing the event's broader impact. Outside the track, more than 111 TB of data volume was used on the network, showing the event's broader impact. Combined Volume Growth: The combined data volume inside and outside the venue was nearly 172 TB – a 35% increase from last year's race day, demonstrating substantial year-over-year growth. The key driver behind this data explosion was this year's commercial activation of 5G Standalone at the IMS, allowing fans to easily upload videos and share their experiences in real time, further enhancing the fan experience. 'This record breaking amount of traffic really highlights the rapid growth of 5G and how it's truly built to handle massive events like the Indy 500. The data capacity of the Verizon network is unmatched,' said Brady. Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) powers and empowers how its millions of customers live, work and play, delivering on their demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity and security. Headquartered in New York City, serving countries worldwide and nearly all of the Fortune 500, Verizon generated revenues of $134.8 billion in 2024. Verizon's world-class team never stops innovating to meet customers where they are today and equip them for the needs of tomorrow. For more, visit or find a retail location at VERIZON'S ONLINE MEDIA CENTER: News releases, stories, media contacts and other resources are available at News releases are also available through an RSS feed. To subscribe, visit Media contact: Jeff Kew [email protected] (234) 350-7883
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Newsweek
Tom Brady Greeted With Massive Boos at Indy 500
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. NFL legend Tom Brady was met with loud boos from the crowd at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday as he made an appearance at the 109th running of the Indianapolis Indy 500. Newsweek contacted Tom Brady for comment by email via his agent on Monday. Why It Matters Brady, 47, famously led the New England Patriots in numerous heated matchups against the Indianapolis Colts, particularly in the early 2000s when the two teams were bitter AFC rivals. The tension was only intensified by the infamous "Deflategate" scandal. According to ESPN, Deflategate alleged that the Patriots used an illegal process for lowering the inflation of game footballs at Brady's instruction, who preferred the grip of softer balls. The QB has always denied the allegations. Brady served a four-game suspension because the NFL believed he was "generally aware" of the scheme. Retired football player and Fox Sports analyst Tom Brady on February 9, 2025, in New Orleans. Retired football player and Fox Sports analyst Tom Brady on February 9, 2025, in New To Know In a video posted by Indy 500 fan account @1075thefan on X, formerly Twitter, captioned "Hear the boos when Tom Brady was announced at the Indianapolis 500!" Brady was shown on a podium wearing a blue and black racing outfit and being greeted by loud booing mixed in with cheers and applause. The seven-time Super Bowl champion appeared onstage to greet attendees at a pre-race event on Sunday, People reported. As reported by Fox News, Brady was in a Fox Sports fire suit and had an IndyCar racing helmet. He took part in the event as a passenger in the "Fastest Seat in Sports," a pre-race tradition where a high-profile figure rides along in a two-seater IndyCar driven by a professional driver, in this case, former NASCAR star Jimmie Johnson. As the broadcast introduced him, sections of the crowd erupted into noticeable boos, likely stemming from his storied rivalry with the Colts during his tenure with the New England Patriots. Despite the mixed welcome, Brady smiled and waved to the fans, seemingly unfazed by the reaction. He later posted highlights from the experience on social media, captioning a video on X, "HERE WE GO!" with three racing flag emojis. The video posted to his 3 million followers has since had almost 400,000 views. Brady retired from professional football in 2023 and has since transitioned into multiple post-playing ventures, including a 10-year broadcasting deal with Fox Sports and a minority ownership stake in the NFL franchise the Las Vegas Raiders. He's also been active in various business and philanthropic efforts, though his public appearances, especially in sports contexts, clearly still generate passionate responses from fans. The Indianapolis 500 drew 350,000 spectators this year, according to Fox Sports. While not everyone in the stands booed, the reaction was loud enough to trend on social media and spark renewed debates among fans about Brady's legacy. What People Are Saying Jimmie Johnson, as reported by Fox News: "I love the Indy 500. There is an energy and excitement around the 500 that is unlike anything I have experienced before... Certainly, pre-race ceremonies are the ultimate racing experience that I've had outside of the car. I'm thrilled to be a part of the program and to see the stands full one more time. I'm extremely honored to come back and do it and to be able to also share this experience with another seven-time champion." What Happens Next The 2025 Indy 500 race will be broadcast on Fox and available to be streamed live on the station's website and sports app.
