The 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 takes place this Sunday, Memorial Day weekend, with 33 drivers staking their place for an entry into the motor racing history books. You can watch an Indy 500 live stream from anywhere with a VPN — and potentially for free. The delayed start is expect today after 4 p.m. ET.
The so-called "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" (a title that today's Monaco Grand Prix would inevitably also claim) comprises 200 laps of the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, equating to a gruelling 500+-mile race that lands, as ever, on Memorial Day Sunday in the U.S.
Spirits may have been dampened by some truly shocking weather in Indiana today, but the race is finally set to get going at 4:44 p.m. local time. It will run until the 200 laps are up or 8:15 p.m. — whatever comes first.
With no less than eight former winners lining up on the starting grid, it's Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin who went fastest in qualifying. Looking to improve on his best 3rd place finish last year, he'd become only the second ever Australian to win the Indy 500 if he manages to go coast to coast (the first being teammate Will Power, who starts alongside him on the front row).
But it's the third Team Penske car on today's front row — that of Josef Newgarden — that will start as favorite to ultimately take the checkered flag. If the 33-year-old Tennessean does lift the Borg-Warner Trophy again this weekend, he'll be just the sixth driver to win back-to-back titles and the first for over 20 years.
So get ready to rev those engines and watch a 2024 Indianapolis 500 live stream online, no matter where in the world you are.
FREE Indy 500 live stream
Generally speaking, Indianapolis 500 live streams are only available to watch on paid services. But in the U.K., Sky Sports is making it free to watch on YouTube.
Full coverage (including Sky's extended build-up) will be shown live on the Sky Sports F1 YouTube channel. That means you can watch on your computer or on any device that carries the YouTube app, including smartphones, streaming devices and games consoles.
If you're not in the U.K. this weekend, the YouTube stream won't be available to you. That's where a VPN comes in...
How to watch Indy 500 from anywhere
Away from home at the moment and want to watch Indy 500 live streams securely on your usual subscription?
Not sure which VPN is right for you? We've tested many different services and Surfshark is one of the most affordable premium providers out there — it offers superb speeds, 24/7 customer support and is really easy to use.
Global Indianapolis 500 live streams
Watch 2024 Indy 500 in the U.S. without cable and on TV
NBC has television rights for the 2024 Indy 500 nationwide — except in Indiana where it's blacked out. Coverage begins at 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m PT, with the race officially slated to start at approximately 12:45 p.m. ET / 9:45 a.m PT. Historically, the race takes around three hours. UPDATE: The race will now start at 4:44 p.m. ET after today's torrential downpours.
There are several ways you can access NBC, the most obvious one being to pull it down with one of the best TV antennas. Plus, it is common to most cable plans.
If you're a cord cutter or don't have access to NBC, you also have the option to watch on the network's Peacock streaming service. Peacock subscriptions start from only $5.99/month, rising to $11.99/month to remove the ads. Or get 12 months for the price of 10 on either tier by signing up for an annual plan.
Alternatively, NBC is also in the channel line-ups of a good few of our picks for the best streaming services. That includes Sling TV, Fubo, YouTube TV and Hulu with Live TV.
Sling TV is the best value cable replacement of the lot from just $40/month and half price for your first month. Its Blue plan includes local NBC channels in a number of territories (double check that yours is included before you buy). Fubo is another great option, with in excess of 100 channels. Plans are pricier, starting from $79.99/month, but you can see what all the fuss is about with a 7-day free trial.
How to watch Indy 500 2024 live streams in the U.K.
Racing fans in the U.K. can watch the 2024 Indy 500 live on Sky Sports from its 9:44 p.m. BST revised start time.
As explained above, it's possible to watch a 2024 Indianapolis 500 live stream absolutely free in the U.K. It will go out on the Sky Sports F1 YouTube channel.
It will also be available on the main Sky Sports F1 channel (immediately after the conclusion of the Monaco Grand Prix), in addition to the Sky Sports Mix channel that's available on all Sky TV packages.
Not in the U.K. on Sunday? You can watch your usual stream securely – and from anywhere – with Surfshark VPN.
How to watch a 2024 Indy 500 live stream in Canada
TSN has the rights to show 2024 Indy 500 live streams in Canada.
The race is being shown on TSN3 and 5. So if you already get TSN through your cable provider, you'll be able to watch on TV or through its TSN Go app.
If you don't have cable, then you could go for TSN Plus instead, which lets you get access to all TSN has to offer on an $8/month or $80/year subscription basis.
Not in Canada at the moment? Signing up to Surfshark VPN will help you access your usual streaming service safely and securely when traveling overseas.
How to watch Indy 500 live streams 2024 in Australia
Down Under, 2024 Indy 500 live streams are on Stan Sport. It's an early one, though, with the race set to begin at 6:44 a.m. on Monday morning after the start time was changed thanks to rain.
A subscription costs $15/month, on top of a $12/month Stan Basic sub.
Stan Sport is also the place to watch Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League football, and Formula E.
If you're currently out of Australia but want to watch Indy 500 live streams via your home service, you'll need to get yourself a VPN. Instructions above.
Indianapolis 500 starting grid 2024
Here is the starting grid for the 33-car field for the 2024 Indy 500.
Swipe to scroll horizontally| Position | Number | Driver |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Scott McLaughlin |
| 2 | 12 | Will Power |
| 3 | 2 | Josef Newgarden |
| 4 | 7 | Alexander Rossi |
| 5 | 17 | Kyle Larson |
| 6 | 14 | Santino Ferrucci |
| 7 | 21 | Rinus VeeKay |
| 8 | 5 | Pato O'Ward |
| 9 | 60 | Felix Rosenqvist |
| 10 | 75 | Takuma Sato |
| 11 | 27 | Kyle Kirkwood |
| 12 | 23 | Ryan Hunter-Reay |
| 13 | 26 | Colton Herta |
| 14 | 10 | Álex Palou |
| 15 | 6 | Callum Ilott |
| 16 | 11 | Marcus Armstrong |
| 17 | 20 | Ed Carpenter |
| 18 | 4 | Kyffin Simpson |
| 19 | 98 | Marco Andretti |
| 20 | 06 | Hélio Castroneves |
| 21 | 9 | Scott Dixon |
| 22 | 78 | Agustín Canapino |
| 23 | 41 | Sting Ray Robb |
| 24 | 33 | Christian Rasmussen |
| 25 | 66 | Tom Blomqvist |
| 26 | 77 | Romain Grosjean |
| 27 | 8 | Linus Lundqvist |
| 28 | 45 | Christian Lundgaard |
| 29 | 24 | Conor Daly |
| 30 | 30 | Pietro Fittipaldi |
| 31 | 51 | Katherine Legge |
| 32 | 28 | Marcus Ericsson |
| 33 | 15 | Graham Rahal |
More from Tom's Guide
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbvMrJ6uoZSae6S7zGicp6yVp8Gitc2mnKesX6i9sL7TrGawmaSYtW61zZ2gmqaRpbyttdJmbGloXaG2t7GMrKurnZGienN8kW0%3D