If you need a roundup of online streams for this weekend’s IndyCar racing spectacle, you’ve come to the right place. As one of the premier motorsports events in the United States, plenty of American platforms offer coverage, as do the UK and Australia. But if you’re traveling abroad on vacation or business, you’re bound to be blocked based on your location — even if you have an active subscription. You can use a VPN to get back in. Here’s how: Officials will wave the green flag for the starting grid on Sunday, May 29 at 12:45 pm (EST). The main broadcaster for the Indy 500 is NBC, which is available through several online streaming platforms in the US. There are also other international options like Stan Sport in Australia and Sky Sports in the UK. But when you’re outside a country where those Indy 500 streams are based, the websites will block access to comply with licensing regulations. So IndyCar fans traveling on vacation or business can’t watch their home streams, even if they have a paid subscription. Getting around these digital roadblocks is actually quite simple. We’ll show you how to drive right through them using a Virtual Private Network, or VPN.
How to Live Stream the Indy 500 From Anywhere
With NBC holding the American broadcasting rights, cable-cutting race fans are in luck. Plenty of popular online streaming services — like SlingTV, FuboTV and NBC’s own streaming site Peacock TV — offer the channel in their packages. Since many of these services offer free trials and sign-up promotions, you can actually watch the Indy 500 for free, or at a fat discount. If you’re reading this guide from the States, you won’t have any problem using these sites. But if you’re poolside in Cabo San Lucas, you’ll be geo-blocked, because you’ve crossed the American border. The same goes for Australians away from home — you won’t be able to use Stan Sport to watch the race. Websites figure out your location based on your IP address. Your Cabo internet connection offers up a Mexican IP address through its Mexican server and now the site knows your location. Here’s where the VPN comes into play. The VPN changes your IP address by rerouting your connection through one of its global servers. Using a VPN, you can get a new American, Australian, UK, or any IP address you’d like with the click of a button, and unblock all kinds of content. We’ll show you how below.
Step-by-step guide: How to watch the Indy 500 online with a VPN
2022 Indianapolis 500 Live Streams
SlingTV’s not your only choice to watch the Indy 500. We’ve rounded up some other ways to access NBC, as well as some international feeds that will have the race. Once you’ve set up your VPN, you can access any of these by connecting to a server in the country it’s based.
Should I Use a Free VPN for Live Streaming the Indy 500?
While many free VPNs claim to offer the same level of service that premium providers do, the two really can’t be compared. There are some great free VPNs out there (we’ve reviewed plenty), but they’re really only suited for certain online activities. When live streaming sports, you’ll run into these common issues. Instead of using a free VPN, we recommend trying out Surfshark for free. New users can take advantage of the 30-day money-back guarantee to give their full features a tryout. If it’s not for you, you can just cancel it within 30 days and get your money back.
What to Expect at the 2022 Indianapolis 500
If there’s one thing that fans and pundits can agree on, it’s that predicting this year’s champ won’t be easy work. 2008 Indy 500 champ Scott Dixon certainly has the motorsports world abuzz following his four-lap, pole position-nabbing run. Even with his 234 mile-per-hour average speed on the qualifier, speculation remains if the 41-year-old New Zealander can close the 14-year gap without hugging the Borg-Warner sterling silver — or chugging the sacramental bottle of milk. Of course, there are plenty more storylines for fans to follow. At last year’s Indy 500, Helio Castroneves matched a long-running historical record by nabbing his fourth overall win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Though he’s at the back of the grid going into this year’s Indy 500, he could break one of racing’s longest-standing honors should he muscle his way to the front for an unprecedented fifth. The clash for Indy 500’s Rookie of the Year should be white-knuckled. Romain Grosjean has shown impressive speeds and control on the track, though he’s yet to prove himself on a race of this scale. Also making waves are 20-year-old David Malukas and 23-year-old Callum Ilott, two fresh-faced racers under the tutelage of some major teams. But don’t forget the favorites, the staples, and the veterans. 2-time Indy 500 winner Takuma Soto is eyeing a repeat of his 2020 Indy 500 glory, while former NASCAR ace Jimmie Johnson — though the 46-year-old is technically a rookie — is out to overcome his struggles following his switch to IndyCar. Meanwhile, third-generation Marco Andretti could shift into high gear to uphold his family’s famous racing legacy.
Indianapolis 500 Starting Grid
The grid has been set for Sunday’s legendary race, which you can see below:
