How to watch the 2019 Indy 500 race online

The 2019 Indy 500 will begin at 12PM EST (9AM PST / 5PM BST) on May 26. 33 of the world’s best IndyCar drivers will compete in a gruelling 500-mile race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This event usually lasts about three hours, and below we’ll let you know how to watch every minute of the 2019 Indy 500 online and free-of-charge.

You should note that we’ll only be recommending official sources. Although major sporting events are often available on unlicensed streaming sites, we don’t recommend using these. Not only is the video quality very poor, there’s also a chance that the stream will be taken offline partway through for copyright violation. With so many legitimate ways to watch this event, there’s no reason to use unofficial sources.

All of the platforms showing this race are region-locked. As such, you’ll need a VPN to stream it from abroad.

How to live stream the 2019 Indy 500 abroad with a VPN

VPNs might seem a little intimidating at first, but they actually make it very easy to access geo-restricted platforms abroad. Just follow the steps below to watch this race anywhere:

  1. Start by signing up for a suitable VPN. We recommend ExpressVPN, although NordVPN and CyberGhost are both high-quality, low-cost alternatives.
  2. Next, download and install the appropriate version of the VPN app for your device.
  3. Choose one of the official sources from the list below.
  4. Connect to a VPN server in the appropriate country. For instance, you’d need a US server to unblock NBC or a Canadian server for Sportsnet.
  5. Play a video on your chosen platform. It should load instantly but if not, you can solve most issues by clearing your browser’s cache and cookies, then refreshing the page.

This race will be broadcast live, we recommend testing your VPN with the steps above well before it’s due to start. This approach ensures that if anything doesn’t work as expected, you’ll still have plenty of time to contact your VPN’s customer support team for help.

How to watch the IndyCar Indy 500 live online

IndyCar might have a predominantly American audience, but it has fans all over the world. Below, we’ll let you know which broadcasters are showing the 2019 Indy 500 in your country:

USA

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NBC Sports is showing every 2019 IndyCar race live. This service allows you to login and stream the full event for free if your cable TV subscription includes NBC. Don’t have cable? No problem — all of the services below allow you to stream NBC Sports live:

These services are fairly expensive (ranging from $15–50 USD per month) but they all include a free trial period. As such, you can sign up, stream the event live, then cancel to avoid being charged.

The services above can only be accessed within the US. To use them from other countries, you’ll need a VPN. If you don’t have one, we recommend taking advantage of ExpressVPN’s risk-free 30-day money-back-guarantee. If you only needed a VPN to watch this event, or if ExpressVPN doesn’t meet your expectations, you can just cancel and claim a full refund.

UK

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  • Sky Sports (cable subscription required)
  • Now TV

Every 2019 IndyCar race, practise, and qualifier will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1. If you’re already a Sky TV customer, you can sign into the Sky Go app or Sky website and stream the full race live. If you don’t have cable, or if you’re with a different provider, your best bet is to purchase a Sky Sports pass on Now TV instead. Daily passes cost just £8.99 and you don’t need a Now TV account to buy one, so there are no hidden fees to worry about.

Sky Go and Now TV are both region-locked. This means that you’ll have to either be in the UK or using a British VPN server to use them.

Canada

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Sportsnet has exclusive rights to show this event in Canada. You can sign in with your cable provider details and stream the race for free as long as Sportsnet is included in your subscription. This broadcaster also offers an online-only service called Sportsnet Now, so you’ll be able to watch even if you don’t have cable TV.

Unfortunately, this service doesn’t come with a free trial. Subscriptions start at $19.99 CAD per month, but as every plan includes this race, there’s no reason to choose a more expensive package.

Sportsnet is only available in Canada and requires a payment method that’s linked to a Canadian address. Existing subscribers can still use this service from abroad by connecting to a VPN, however.

Australia

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  • Fox Sports (Foxtel or Fetch subscription required)
  • Foxtel Now

Australian fans can watch this event live on Fox Sports. If you’re a Foxtel or Fetch customer and your subscription includes Fox Sports, you’re free to login to the Foxtel Go or Fetch TV app and start streaming immediately.

If you don’t have cable, you can still watch this race on Foxtel Now. This service usually costs $25 AUD per month, plus an extra $15 for the sports channel pack, but it comes with a 10-day free trial, during which you’ll have access to every channel. This means that if you register, watch the race, and cancel before the trial ends, you won’t be charged.

All of the above service use geo-restriction to prevent users from outside of Australia from watching anything. Additionally, Foxtel requires an Australian phone number during registration, making it very difficult for foreign users to sign up. Existing subscribers can access these platforms abroad with a VPN, though.

Sub-Saharan Africa

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  • Canal+ (subscription required, French-language coverage)
  • SuperSport (subscription required)

Canal+ will provide French-language coverage of the 2019 IndyCar season to Sub-Saharan African countries including Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa. SuperSport will be showing the race in the same countries, albeit with English commentary.

Prices vary from one region to another, but generally, you can expect Canal+ to cost around $20 USD per month. It’s worth mentioning that both of these services require hardware to be installed in your home, meaning it’s impossible to sign up from abroad. That said, if you’re travelling, you can use a VPN to sign in and access these services as normal.

Header image by redlegsfan21, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.