IndyCar fans missed out on the official start of summer this year as the Indy 500 was cancelled back in March when the 2020 IndyCar season was suspended. Thankfully though, IndyCar racing resumed in June and this weekend we'll finally get to see the 104th running of the Indy 500.
The Indianapolis 500 takes its name from the 500 miles of track that 33 Indy Cars will cover over the course of 200, 2.5 mile laps. The Indy 500 is one of the most famous auto races in the world and was first held in 1911. Since then the race has remained mostly unchanged and has been held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana.
While attendance at this year's race was initially going to be limited to 25 per cent capacity, this idea was scrapped at the beginning of this month due to a steep increase of COVID cases in Marion County, Indiana where the Indy 500 is held. This will mark the first time in the event's over 100 year history that the race will be run without fans.
In more positive news, third-generation driver Marco Andretti from the famous Andretti racing family won the pole position for the Indy 500 earlier this week. He won the pole with a four-lap average speed that was just .017 mph faster than Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon and became the first Andretti to do so since his grandfather Mario back in 1987.
Whether you're a die-hard IndyCar fan that's been waiting since Memorial Day Weekend for this year's race or you just want to tune in to watch the 104th Indy 500 this weekend, we'll show you exactly how to live stream the race online or on TV from anywhere in the world.
Indy 500 - When and where?
The 104th running of the Indy 500 will take place on Sunday, August 23 and coverage of the event on NBC will begin with the pre-race show at 1pm ET / 10am PT. The actual race will begin an hour and a half later at 2:30pm ET / 11:30am PT and if you plan on watching the whole event prepare accordingly as the Indy 500 can last anywhere from three to five hours.
How to watch the Indy 500 from anywhere
We have all the details on how you can watch the Indy 500 in the U.S., Canada, UK and Australia further down in this guide. However, if you're currently traveling or live in a country without an official broadcast option you won't be able to watch the race this weekend.
That's where one of the best VPNs (Virtual Private Network) can really come in handy. They allow you to virtually change the IP address of your laptop, tablet or mobile to one that's back in your home country which will let you watch as if you were back there.
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Watch the Indy 500 in the U.S.
If you live in the US and have a cable subscription, you'll be able to watch the Indy 500 on NBC beginning at 1pm ET / 10am PT on Sunday. You can also live stream the entire race on the NBC Sports app but you will need to login with the credentials from your cable provider to do so. Alternatively, if you're a big IndyCar fan and don't want to miss a single race this season, you can sign up for NBC Sports Gold's IndyCar Pass for the reduced price of $39.99. The pass gives you access to exclusive coverage from the Indy 500 as well as the ability to stream full races on-demand or watch 30 minute Fast Forward recaps.
Not interested in signing up for cable or NBC Sports Gold's IndyCar Pass to watch this year's Indy 500? Don't worry as there are now a number of streaming services, all at different price points, which will give you access to NBC so you can stream the race online. We've listed a few of our favorites below to make things easier for you.
- Hulu with Live TV - $54.99 per month - As well as giving you access to NBC, the service includes its own Hulu Originals and supports a wide variety of streaming devices.
- Sling TV - $30 per month - In order to get access to NBC, you'll have to sign up for Sling TV's Sling Blue package. The service also lets you watch on three screens simultaneously and record live TV with its Cloud DVR.
- AT&T TV Now - $65 per month - AT&T TV Now may be more expensive than the competition but in addition to NBC you also get access to HBO with your plan. The service allows you to watch over 45 live TV channels and you can also record up to 20 hours of content using its cloud DVR.
- FuboTV - fuboTV's standard plan includes NBC as well as over 90 other live TV channels. You also get the ability to watch two streams simultaneously and record up to 30 hours of content using the service's cloud DVR feature.
Subscribing to Sling TV will get you access to all the race madness that's coming this weekend. Right now, you can get $10 off your first month, so be sure to sign up so you don't miss any of the action.
Live stream the Indy 500 in Canada
Canadian IndyCar fans will be able to watch this year's Indy 500 on SportsNet and the network will begin its coverage of the race at 1pm ET / 10am PT. You can also stream the race online on SportsNet's website but you will need to login with the details from your cable provider to do so.
If you've already cut the cord and still want to watch the Indy 500 on SportsNet, don't worry as you can sign up for the network's streaming service Sportsnet NOW. The service costs $9.99 a week or either $19.99 or $27.99 per month depending on whether you sign up for SN Now or SN Now+.
How to watch the Indy 500 in the UK
IndyCar fans in the UK will be able to watch this year's Indy 500 on Sky Sports beginning at 6pm BST. The network will show the race in its entirety on both Sky Sports Main Event and on Sky Sports F1 but you can also stream the event on its website or with the Sky Go app.
Don't want to sign up for Sky Sports just to watch the Indy 500, don't worry as you can watch the whole event live on NOW TV with a Sky Sports Day Pass for £9.99 or a Sky Sports Month Pass for £33.99. NOW TV will also let you stream the race on your computer, smartphone, smart TV or other streaming devices.
Get an Indy 500 live stream in Australia
If you live in Australia and are a Foxtel subscriber, you'll be able to watch the Indy 500 on Fox Sports beginning at 3am AEST on Monday, August 24. If this is a little late for you, don't worry as Fox Sports will also show a replay of the entire race in the afternoon at 1pm AEST and in the evening at 7:30pm AEST on Monday.
If you're not a Foxtel subscriber and still want to catch all the action, you can also watch the entire event on Kayo Sports. The service costs between $25 and $35 per month depending on the package you choose but new customers can take advantage of Kayo Sports' 14-day Free Trial to watch the 2020 Indy 500 online.
