How to watch the 2026 Indy 500: Full race weekend schedule, where to stream and more

1 week ago 5

It's time for the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500! This weekend will be the busiest of the year for motorsports fans with the Indy 500, Canadian Grand Prix, and Coca-Cola 600 all racing on the same day. But the Indy 500, often called the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing," will likely dominate headlines and TVs across the country.

Ahead of the big race, the Indy 500 qualifying was chaotic to say the least — despite the fact that exactly 33 cars entered, meaning drivers were competing for pole positions, but not a literal spot. But heavy rain complicated the qualifying, and two drivers, Caio Collet (A.J. Foyt Enterprises) and Jack Harvey (Dreyer & Reinbold Racing) were penalized after the fact for unapproved modifications, sending them to the back row of the starting grid.

Alex Palou is aiming for Indy 500 greatness with the hope of back-to-back wins. He’ll start the race in the pole position. Caitlin Clark will serve as this year’s Grand Marshal. Are you ready to see what happens down at The Brickyard this year? Here’s everything you need to know to tune in to the Indy 500 in 2026.

Where to watch the 2026 Indy 500:

Date: Sunday, May 24

Race time: 12:45 p.m. ET/9:45 a.m. PT

Location: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

TV channel: FOX, Fox Deportes, FS1

Streaming: DirecTV, YouTube TV and more

When is the Indy 500?

The Indy 500 is this Sunday, May 24. Coverage will begin on Sunday at 10 a.m. ET, and the green flag will drop on the race track at 12:45 p.m.

What channel is the Indy 500 on?

FOX is once again this year's network home for the 2026 Indy 500. FS1 will air Friday's practice. FOX will air the Weenie 500 and Pit Stop Challenge. FOX Deportes will cover this year's race in Spanish.

Don't have access to FOX through a cable provider? A live TV streaming service like DirecTV or YouTube TV is an easy way to tune into this weekend's race.

How to watch the Indy 500 without cable:

A YouTube TV Base Plan provides access to over 100 live channels, including FOX, ABC, NBC, CBS, ESPN, Bravo, CNN, and more.

While a base plan subscription to YouTube TV costs $82.99, you can get it for $67.99 for the first 5 months with this current offer, which should have you covered for the upcoming race weekend and all through the 2026 World Cup!

This offer is available only to new customers, and it expires on June 30. Not sure if YouTube TV is for you? You can also try it for free for 21 days before committing to the discounted rate.

DirecTV's Choice tier gives you access to loads of channels, so you can tune in to everything from the Indy 500 to your favorite cable dramas. Channels include FOX, ESPN, TNT, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, Lifetime, A&E, and, depending on where you live, local affiliates for ABC, CBS, and NBC.

You'll also get unlimited Cloud DVR storage and access to ESPN+'s premium streaming tier, ESPN Unlimited.

DirecTV Choice is currently available for $84.99/month for three months, that's a $10/month savings over the regular rate. (After the initial offer ends, you'll be charged $94.99/month, or you can cancel at any time.) You can also try all this out for free for five days. If you're interested in trying out a live-TV streaming service but aren't ready to commit, we recommend starting with DirecTV.

Indy 500 weekend schedule:

All times Eastern

Friday, May 22 — Carb Day

11:00 AM–1:00 PM — Indianapolis 500 Practice (FS1)
2:00 PM — Wienie 500 (FOX)
2:30–4:00 PM — Oscar Mayer Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge (FOX)

Sunday, May 24 — Indianapolis 500 Race Day (F0X)

11:47 AM — Driver Introductions
12:24 PM — National Anthem
12:29 PM — “Drivers, to your cars”
12:36 PM — “Back Home Again in Indiana”
12:38 PM — Command to Start Engines
12:45 PM — Green Flag

How long is the Indy 500?

The track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, AKA The Brickyard, is a 2.5-mile rectangular oval. The aptly named Indy 500 race laps the track 200 times, adding up to 500 miles.

2026 Indy 500 starting grid:

Row 1

Alex Palou
Alexander Rossi
David Malukas

Row 2

Felix Rosenqvist
Santino Ferrucci
Pato O’Ward

Row 3

Kyffin Simpson
Conor Daly
Scott McLaughlin

Row 4

Scott Dixon
Rinus VeeKay
Takuma Sato

Row 5

Ed Carpenter
Helio Castroneves
Christian Rasmussen

Row 6

Marcus Armstrong
Marcus Ericsson
Christian Lundgaard

Row 7

Will Power
Nolan Siegel
Louis Foster

Row 8

Ryan Hunter-Reay
Josef Newgarden
Romain Grosjean

Row 9

Kyle Kirkwood
Katherine Legge
Mick Schumacher

Row 10

Graham Rahal
Dennis Hauger
Jacob Abel

Row 11

Sting Ray Robb
Caio Collet
Jack Harvey

More ways to watch the Indy 500 on FOX:

ESPN Unlimited rolls all 7 ESPN-affiliated networks — ESPN, ESPN2, SEC Network, ACC Network, along with ESPN+, SEC+ and ACCNX — into one plan. It's effectively "cable ESPN, but via streaming." That means subscribers can get coverage of more than 47,000 live events each year, on-demand replays, original programming and more. Purchased alone, the plan costs $29.99/month.

FOX One is the home to all the major FOX channels: FOX News, FOX Sports, FOX Weather, FS1, FS2, FOX Business, FOX Deportes, Big Ten Network (B1G), local FOX stations and FOX Network. Users also have access to on-demand content from FOX Entertainment, including movies, TV shows, comedies, ad-supported channels like LiveNOW and TMZ and FOX podcasts. A FOX One subscription costs $19.99 a month.

With the Fox One/ESPN bundle, you can combine both services for one low rate of $39.99/month. That means access to tons of NFL and college football games, great shows, news and more, all at a savings of $120/year.