What channel is the Indy 500 on today? TV coverage & live stream to watch the 2021 race in Indianapolis
Due to the pandemic, the Indy 500 was pushed back to August last year and found itself no fans on hand to take on the experience of the race.
All this will change as the race is being held once again over Memorial Day weekend, and this year, fans will return to watch the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Race coverage will once again be on NBC and it will start on NBC Sports Network from 9 am, before NBC will take coverage at 11 am, while the race will begin at 12:45 pm.
When the race begins, Scott Dixon will step down from pole position after coming up with the fifth-fastest qualifying time in Indy 500 history last Sunday.
Here is all the information you need to see the Indy 500 on Sunday.
On which channel is the Indy 500 today?
- Race: 105th Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
- Date: Sunday, May 30
- State Time: 11 AM (12:45 PM ET)
- TV Channel: NBC
- Live Stream: NBC Sports | Peacock | fuboTV
NBC Sports will provide full coverage of the Indy 500 on Sunday, from prerace to postrace. The Indy 500 is in its third year of airing on NBC after the previous 54 races were held on ABC.
Below are the top 40 TV markets in the United States and local NBC affiliates from each region.
Market NBC TV channel (Digital)
New York 4 (35)
Los Angeles 4 (36)
Chicago 5 (33)
Philadelphia 10 (28)
Dallas 5 (24)
San Francisco-Bay Area 11 (13)
Washington, DC 4 (34)
Houston 2 (35)
Boston 15 (32)
Atlanta 11 (10)
Phoenix 12 (12)
Tampa-St. Petersburg 8 (7)
Seattle 5 (25)
Detroit 4 (32)
Minneapolis-St. Paul 11 (11)
Miami 6 (31)
Denver 9 (9)
Orlando 2 (11)
Cleveland 3 (19)
Sacramento 3 (35)
Charlotte 36 (24)
Portland 8 (8)
Indianapolis 13 (13)
Baltimore 11 (12)
Raleigh-Durham 5 (17)
Nashville 4 (10)
San Diego 39 (17)
Salt Lake City 5 (23)
San Antonio 4 (28)
Kansas City 41 (36)
Hartford-New Haven 30 (31)
Columbus 38 (35)
Milwaukee 4 (32)
West Palm Beach 5 (12)
Cincinnati 5 (20)
Greenville 4 (30)
Las Vegas 3 (22)
Austin 36 (21)
NBC's Mike Tirico will once again provide preres coverage with former IndyCar driver Danica Patrick.
During the race, Leah will cover play-by-play as analysts alongside Marty Snyder, Kyle Stavast and Kevin Lee, along with Defier Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy as analysts.
There will also be a new addition with Jimmy Johnson joining the broadcast crew, working with Steve Letert as an analyst on the Peacock Pit Box.
Indianapolis 500 Schedule 2021
The Indy 500 schedule starts well before the audience is able to tune into the action. The drivers have been practicing and working for the last several days to qualify for the race.
On Sunday, garages will open at 5 am and gates will open at 6 am as teams prepare for a day of racing.
But for those who want to watch together at home, NBC Sports Network will pick up the Indy 500 coverage at 9 am before transitioning to NBC at 11 am. After the checkered flag flies, which should be around 3:45 pm, race coverage on NBC will continue until 4 pm, when it shifts back to NBCSN for postrace coverage.
Time Event TV Channel
5 a.m. ET: Garage opens --
6 a.m. ET: Gates open --
6:30 a.m. ET: Tech inspection --
8:15 a.m. ET: Cars pushed to pit lane --
10:30 a.m. ET: Cars on the starting grid NBCSN
11:47 a.m. ET: Driver introductions NBC
12:38 p.m. ET: Command to start engines NBC
12:45 p.m. ET: Green flag for the 105th Indy 500 NBC
3:45 p.m. ET (est.): Checkered flag NBC
How to watch indie 500 live online
For those who will not be able to watch the Indy 500 on cable, there are many options for streaming the Greatest Spectacle in racing. Instead of purchasing IndyCar passes of NBC Sports Gold as in previous years, racing fans can subscribe to Peacock Premium, which will have access to all IndyCar racing content from the previous service.
There are also other options for streaming. Below are the links for each one.
Indy 500 radio broadcasts
Many will just opt to listen to the race during the day. Local audiences can tune into 93.1 FM, WFNI-107.5 / 1070 AM.
Listeners hoping to hear it on satellite radio can tune into Pennzoil IndyCar Radio Network or NBC Sports on Siriux XM, with the following options:
Sirius channel 211
XM channel 205
Internet channel 205.