Great news for all you cord-cutters
The Indianapolis 500 is the largest single-day sporting event in the world. The Indy 500 is held annually, typically on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana.
The race will be broadcast on NBC and the NBC Sports Network (NBCSN on cable), not on ESPN. Other IndyCar races will be broadcast on the USA channel. Alternatively, cord-cutters can watch it online without subscribing to cable TV or multiple streaming services. That’s great news for anyone who wants to watch the race around the Brickyard.
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When Is the Indy 500 Start Time?
The Indy 500 is advertised as “the greatest spectacle in racing,” so you won’t want to miss a second. There are many qualifying races leading up to the big day, but the Indy 500 race is scheduled for 12:20 pm Eastern on Sunday, May 29, 2022. Tune in earlier at 9:00 am to see the cars line up in the pit lane and more pre-race coverage.
The green flag signals the beginning of the practice session. You’ll see it around 10:28 am. Tune in around 12:18 pm to catch the invocation and national anthem.
How to Watch the Indianapolis 500 for Free Online Without Cable
The NBC TV channel will broadcast the 2022 Indianapolis 500 race. With a digital antenna, racing fans can watch the race live on television. If, however, you’d prefer to watch a live stream of the race online, there are several ways to do that.
Watch the Race with the Peacock App
You’ll need a subscription to Peacock Premium to watch any of the races in the Indycar series on the Peacock app. For $4.99/month, you’ll get access to many of the qualifying races and the Indy 500 live stream, along with all the other programming Peacock Premium offers.
Stream NBC with fuboTV
fuboTV is a streaming service that focuses on channels that show live sports. You can get a seven-day free trial at fuboTV.com. Rest assured, fubo can connect to many different streaming devices, including iPhone, Android, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, etc.
Watch the 2022 Indy 500 on Hulu Live TV
If you subscribe to Hulu with Live TV, you can watch NBC’s live stream of the Indy 500 there. Get the free trial or pay $64.99/month for access to over 60 channels on Hulu Live.
Hulu Live includes many other channels like Disney+ and FX, so if you watch those channels, it might be worth the hefty subscription fee. Hulu supports PlayStation, among other devices.
Watch the Indianapolis 500 on Sling TV
Anyone who lives in or near a major city in the United States should check to see if Sling TV offers NBC in their area. To get NBC on Sling TV, you’ll need to subscribe to Sling Blue.
If you subscribe to Sling Blue, it will cost $35/month, a lot less than fuboTV or Hulu Live, but make sure Sling comes with NBC in your market.
Stream the Indy 500 with DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM is a live TV streaming service offered by AT&T. Up until August 2021, it was called AT&T TV Now. Their packages generally include NBC, so you should be able to watch the Indianapolis 500, but be sure to confirm that the package you want includes access to NBC before you sign up.
View the Indianapolis 500 on YouTube TV
If you subscribe to YouTube TV, you’ll be able to watch the Indy 500. If you don’t want to cough up the $64.99/month the service costs, you can get two weeks free if you sign up before May 16. If you time it perfectly and sign up on May 16, then the two-week free trial will include the day of the big race!
YouTube TV includes complete local network coverage in the U.S. nationwide, and it comes with a vast array of channels, including NBC.
Like other live TV streaming services, YouTube TV has unlimited cloud DVR and will stream to all your devices, including Apple, Android, Roku, Xbox, and smart TVs like Vizio, Apple TV, and Samsung. Expand your viewing options by upgrading your subscription with add-ons like HBO Max, Showtime, and Epix.
Quick Hits About the Indy 500
If you don’t know much about the race, it’ll be more interesting to watch Indy if you learn a few things before the big race and its famous drivers.
- The first Indy 500 occurred in 1911.
- The unofficial “Triple Crown of Motorsport” includes the Indy 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Monaco Grand Prix.
- Colton Herta, son of IndyCar driver Bryan Herta, is the youngest person ever to win an IndyCar Series race, but he hasn’t won the Indy 500.
- Scott Dixon won the 92nd Indianapolis 500 in 2008 from pole position. Drivers must qualify for the prestigious pole position a week before the race.
- The race is immortalized on the Indiana quarter.
- Takuma Sato was the first Asian driver to win the Indy 500, and he’s won it twice so far, in 2017 and 2020.
- Last year’s race was held on Sunday, May 30, and was won by Brazilian Hélio Castroneves.
- Known as the “Iron Maiden” and “Swiss Miss,” Simona de Silvestro is a Swiss-Italian racing driver who previously drove for the Andretti Autosport team. She drove for Paretta Autosport in the 2021 Indianapolis 500.
- Will Power, Tony Kanaan, Dalton Kellett, Rinus VeeKay, Josef Newgarden, Sage Karam, and Marco Andretti are the ones to watch during the 2022 Indianapolis 500.
- Team Penske has had a total of 18 Indianapolis 500 victories since 1972.
Regardless of who you’re rooting for, if you enjoy car racing, you won’t want to miss the 2022 Indianapolis 500.
