Why You Can Trust CNET Indy 500 2023: How to Watch Live or Stream Today's IndyCar Race From Anywhere
Marcus Ericsson will be looking to defend his crown after his triumph at the Brickyard 12 months ago.
It's one of the biggest motorsport events of the year, with a field of 33 cars set to battle it out on Sunday to win the 107th edition of America's most prestigious motor race, the Indianapolis 500.
Marcus Ericsson will be aiming to become the first driver since Hélio Castroneves back in 2002 to perform the traditional guzzling of milk in the victory lane in successive years.
Ericsson faces plenty of competition for his crown, with Álex Palou, Rinus VeeKay and Felix Rosenqvist forming the fastest front row in the history of this 112-year-old event, with last year's champ pushed down to 10th on the grid.
The 2023 Indy 500 takes place today and will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock. Here's how you can watch live, no matter where you are in the world.
When does the Indy 500 start?
The Indy 500 takes place today, May 28. TV coverage in the US begins at 9 a.m. ET on Peacock and from 11 p.m. ET on NBC.
The race is set to get underway at approximately 12:45 p.m. ET (9:45 p.m. PT) -- that's a 5:45 p.m. BST start on Sunday evening in the UK and 2:45 a.m. AEST on Monday morning for those watching live in Australia.
How can I watch the Indy 500 on TV in the US?
If you don't have cable, you still have plenty of options. The least expensive that doesn't require streaming is to connect an over-the-air antenna to your TV and watch your local NBC station.
If you're streaming on a PC, phone or tablet you can watch on NBCSports.com, Peacock Premium or the NBC Sports app.
You could also check out a live TV streaming service, all of which offer free trials. Not every service carries your local NBC station, however, so check the links below to make sure.
Peacock, owned by NBC, offers some live sports to go along with its on-demand entertainment. The $5-a-month tier gives you access to English Premier League soccer, the Olympics, Sunday Night Football, select WWE events and some PGA golf tournaments. The service also airs a few other less popular sports, such as rugby, figure skating, track and field and cycling.
Sling TV's $40-a-month Sling Blue package includes local NBC stations, but only in a handful of markets.
YouTube TV costs $65 a month for the first three months for new customers and $73 a month thereafter, and includes NBC in most markets. Plug in your ZIP code on its welcome page to see which local networks are available in your region.
Hulu with Live TV costs $70 a month and includes NBC in most markets. Click the "View channels in your area" link on its welcome page to see which local channels are offered in your ZIP code.
DirecTV Stream's $75-a-month Plus package includes NBC in most markets. You can use its channel lookup tool to see which local channels are available where you live.
FuboTV costs $85 a month and includes NBC in most markets. Click here to see which local channels you get.
How to watch the Indy 500 online from anywhere using a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view the Indy 500 locally, you may need a different way to watch the race -- that's where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it's also a great idea if you're traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you're able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. Most VPNs, like our Editors' Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you're streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It's normally $13 per month, and you can sign up for ExpressVPN and save 49% plus get three months of access for free -- the equivalent of $6.67 per month -- if you get an annual subscription.
Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Livestream the 2023 Indy 500 in the UK
Motorsports fans in the UK can watch all of the action live from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway via Sky and its Sky Sports Arena channel. Coverage starts at 5:30 p.m. BST on Sunday afternoon, ahead of the race at 5:45 p.m. If you already have Sky Sports as part of your TV package, you can stream the Indy 500 via its Sky Go app, but cord-cutters will want to get set up with a Now account, and a Now Sports membership, to stream the race.
Sky subsidiary Now (formerly Now TV) offers streaming access to Sky Sports channels with a Now Sports membership. You can get a day of access for £12, or sign up to a monthly plan from £25 per month right now.
Can I livestream the Indy 500 in Canada?
For Canadian IndyCar fans, Sunday's big race is available to watch via streaming service TSN Plus. Existing TSN cable subscribers can meanwhile watch at no extra charge using the details of their TV provider.
TSN Plus is a new direct streaming service, boasting exclusive coverage of PGA Tour Live golf, NFL games, F1, Nascar and the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments. Ideal for cord-cutters, the service is priced at CA$20 a month or CA$200 per year.
Livestream the Indy 500 in Australia
Motorsports fans Down Under can watch this year's event on on streaming service Stan Sport, which is showing all the action live from Indianapolis, with the race set to begin at 2:45 a.m. AEST on Monday morning.
Stan Sport will set you back AU$10 per month (on top of a AU$10 Stan subscription), but the streaming service is currently offering a seven-day free trial.
A subscription will also give you access to Europa League and Europa Conference League action, as well as international rugby and Formula E.
Quick tips for streaming the Indy 500 using a VPN
- With four variables at play -- your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN -- your experience and success when streaming the race may vary.
- If you don't see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the "search for city or country" option.
- If you're having trouble getting the game after you've turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs -- like Roku -- don't have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you'll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you're using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
- All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network's sports app, you'll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
- And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you're using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.