The 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 is Sunday, May 24, 2026. The green flag falls at 12:45 PM ET. The race will be watched by more than 350,000 people in the grandstands at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and several million more on television, streaming, and radio worldwide.
If you can't be at IMS, you have more options to watch the Indy 500 in 2026 than ever before. Here's the complete guide.
The basics
Date: Sunday, May 24, 2026
Race start: 12:45 PM ET green flag
Pre-race coverage: 10:00 AM ET
Network: Fox (free over-the-air broadcast in the United States)
Streaming: Fox Sports app, Fox One, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV
Spanish-language: Fox Deportes
Radio: IndyCar Radio Network and SiriusXM
This is the second year of IndyCar's multi-year media partnership with Fox Sports. The 2025 season produced a 27% year-over-year viewership increase and was the most-watched IndyCar season in 17 years. Fox is leaning even harder into the 2026 broadcast, with six hours of live race-day coverage scheduled.
Watching on Fox television
Fox carries the entire 2026 IndyCar season on its network. That means the Indy 500 airs on whichever station carries Fox in your local market: WXIN (Indianapolis), WNYW (New York), KTTV (Los Angeles), and so on. Most cable, satellite, and antenna setups receive Fox without an additional subscription beyond a basic TV package.
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Pre-race coverage starts at 10:00 AM ET and runs into the 12:45 PM ET green flag. The full live race typically takes about three hours to complete, putting the checkered flag around 4:00 PM ET. Post-race coverage and Victory Lane interviews extend the broadcast another 30 to 45 minutes after that.
The pre-race show is a major part of Fox's investment in the broadcast. Past pre-race programming has included driver introductions, the singing of "Back Home Again in Indiana" by Jim Cornelison, the playing of "Taps" in honor of Memorial Day, and the iconic command "Drivers, start your engines."
Streaming options without cable
Several streaming services carry Fox and let you watch the Indy 500 without a traditional cable subscription.
Fox One is Fox's standalone streaming service, launched in fall 2025. It includes all Fox Sports broadcasts, including IndyCar.
Fox Sports app works for anyone with a TV provider login, including most cable and satellite subscribers.
Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream, and Sling TV (Blue tier) all carry the Fox network and broadcast the Indy 500 live.
For Spanish-language coverage, Fox Deportes offers the race with Tony Rivera on play-by-play and Emmy Award-winning analyst Jessi Losada.
Radio coverage
If you're driving, working outside, or want a different feel for the race, the IndyCar Radio Network has been the gold standard for Indy 500 audio coverage for decades.
IndyCar Radio Network broadcasts the race live on hundreds of affiliate stations across North America. The full station list is available at IMS.com.
SiriusXM Channel 218 carries the IndyCar Radio Network feed nationwide for satellite radio subscribers.
Free streaming is available via the IndyCar app and the IMS app, both available on iOS and Android.
The radio call has its own legacy. The IndyCar Radio Network has been broadcasting the race annually since 1953, making it one of the longest-running radio sports broadcasts in American history.
The 2026 Fox broadcast team
The IndyCar on Fox booth returns largely intact for year two.
Will Buxton is the lead play-by-play voice. Buxton came to Fox from Formula 1, where he was a longtime pit reporter and presenter for the F1 broadcast. 2025 was his first year as the television voice of the Indianapolis 500, taking over from Leigh Diffey (NBC, 2019-2024).
James Hinchcliffe is the lead analyst. The Canadian driver is a former Indy 500 pole sitter, six-time IndyCar race winner, and one of the most popular personalities in the paddock from his racing days.
Townsend Bell is the second analyst. A former IndyCar driver and longtime racing broadcaster, Bell brings deep technical knowledge and dry humor to the booth.
Jack Harvey, Georgia Henneberry, and Kevin Lee report from pit road. Harvey is a former IndyCar driver. Lee is a longtime Indianapolis-based motorsports broadcaster. Henneberry came to Fox from previous racing-broadcast work.
For technology lovers, Fox is expanding its use of the Racing Force Driver's Eye, a small in-helmet camera mounted in driver helmets. Six cars at the 2026 Indy 500 will be equipped with dual-stream Driver's Eye capability, providing in-car footage at angles previously unavailable.
Indianapolis local blackout
For decades, the Indianapolis 500 was blacked out on television in the Indianapolis market on race day, with a tape-delayed broadcast airing later that evening. The policy was designed to encourage gate attendance.
The blackout has been lifted only when the race sells out completely. Recent lifted years include 2016 (100th Running), 2021, 2024 (post-rain delay), and 2025.
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The 2026 race appears headed for another sellout, with most premium grandstand sections sold out months in advance. As of mid-May 2026, the local blackout status for the Indianapolis market is contingent on the final ticket count. Check IMS.com or WXIN's local schedule for the latest.
For viewers anywhere outside the Indianapolis market, the live broadcast is unaffected.
International viewing
Outside the United States, the Indy 500 airs on a wide array of international broadcasters. A few of the major options.
Sky Sports F1 carries the race in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Stan Sport streams the race in Australia.
ESPN International has rights in much of Latin America (alongside Fox Deportes for Spanish-speaking U.S. audiences).
Various national broadcasters in Canada, Mexico, Japan, Brazil, and across Europe carry the race through specific deals with IndyCar's international distribution.
The full list of international rights holders is updated annually on IndyCar.com.
The race day schedule
The Indy 500 isn't just a green flag at 12:45 PM. It's a full ceremonial event that takes hours to unfold. Here's how the day typically runs.
10:00 AM ET: Fox pre-race coverage begins. Driver interviews, IMS feature stories, and historical reflections.
11:00 AM ET: Driver introductions begin. Each of the 33 drivers is presented to the crowd.
11:55 AM ET: Singing of "Back Home Again in Indiana" by Jim Cornelison. This is one of the most emotional traditions on the American sporting calendar.
12:00 PM ET: Pre-race ceremonies, including the playing of "Taps" and Memorial Day tributes.
12:30 PM ET: "Drivers, start your engines." The most famous command in motorsport.
12:35 PM ET: Pace laps begin. The Corvette ZR1X pace car (driven by IU football coach Curt Cignetti) leads the field around the 2.5-mile oval.
12:45 PM ET: Green flag. 200 laps. 500 miles. Roughly three hours of racing to come.
3:30 to 4:00 PM ET (approximate): Checkered flag. Victory Lane ceremonies follow.
For more on the traditions and language you'll hear during the broadcast, our Indy 500 racing lingo guide breaks down the terms drivers, crews, and announcers use.
Tips for the home watch party
A few things make watching the Indy 500 at home more fun.
Get the volume right. The roar of 33 IndyCars at full speed is part of the experience. If you have a soundbar or surround setup, the broadcast audio takes on a different feel than living-room TV speakers.
Pull up a second screen. The IndyCar Live timing and scoring page (timingandscoring.indycar.com) shows lap-by-lap data that's not always on the broadcast. Driver positions, fuel windows, lap times, sectors. It's the same data engineers see in pit lane.
Stock the cooler before the green flag. The race runs about three hours without commercial breaks long enough to walk away. Snacks, drinks, and bathroom breaks should happen before 12:45 PM ET.
Watch with a friend who knows the race, or one who doesn't. Both are fun in different ways. The Indy 500 is a great race to introduce someone new to motorsport.
For broader Month of May context on what makes the Indianapolis 500 the biggest weekend of the year in Indiana, our May in Indy guide covers the parades, parties, and traditions that lead into race day.