Indiana DISsers: how to watch the Indy 500 live?

[Claudia1]

Due to Covid, the race was broadcast locally for the last years and I loved it! We've had tickets for decades but due to health issues, we have been unable to attend in person for all but one year in the last 12. I've always been able to find sources online to watch it but my usual sources (SlingTV, for one) doesn't list it to show live. It doesn't look like the race will sell out to yield a blackout this year.

I'm hoping to find a live YouTube channel but that will have to be very last minute to locate. I'm not sure where to look for a possible live stream source.

Does anybody have a good solution?

 

[Dan Murphy]

Hi, Claudia. Hope all is good with you and your family.

Maybe this will help?

How can I watch the Indy 500 on TV?​

The Indy 500 will be shown on NBC. Prerace coverage will begin at 11 a.m., and the race broadcast will run through 4 p.m., followed by a postrace show on Peacock. It also will be available via streaming on the NBC Sports App and NBCSports.com. For the Spanish race broadcast, the Indy 500 will begin at 11 a.m. ET on Universo.

https://motorsports.nbcsports.com/2...s-tv-stats-historical-details-about-the-race/

 

[Claudia1]

Hi, Dan! The normal live streams are blacked out in central Indiana. My IP will identify me as a local. I really don't know if a VPN would solve the problem.

 

[Dan Murphy]

What about just regular NBC TV?

 

[Claudia1]

What about just regular NBC TV?

It's blocked out on all providers.

 

[Dan Murphy]

That policy is as bad as old man Wirtz had here in Chicago with the Blackhawks, no home televised games. Thankfully he's been dead for 15 years.

How far are you guys from the Illinois boarder? Maybe come on over for a couple days to a nice hotel.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I don't live far from Speedway, but I just never really paid attention to it. I have been to the Brickyard 400 in person a couple times before though.

 

[acgardne]

Not for sure, but Peacock may make it available to stream regardless of location. Other than driving to Cincy or Louisville, that might be your best (legal) bet to getting it.

We loved the ability to watch it live last year too. I was hoping they’d make it available again this year!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Audio is available via smart speaker on AM 720, WGN from Chicago.

 

[_19disnA]

As I recall, the 500 was usually not broadcast live in the area around Indy as an apparent way to encourage more people to attend in person. We have cable, not any streaming service so I have no idea what may/may not be available to you. I did try to watch the 500 time trials this year and it was only available through one of those pay services. Charging more seems like a bad decision especially when there is declining interest/attendance. I used to like watching the time trails but am not going to purchase some pay service to do that, so they lost me as a follower.

In prior years, the reserved seats on race day were always sold out, so I never understood the logic in limiting local live coverage. Lately if you watch any form or auto racing, you see a LOT of empty seats so not sure the decision relating to broadcasting live locally has any impact on attendance. It seems that attendance was on the decline at most forms or auto racing long before anyone knew what covid was.

 

[LadyBeBop]

Not for sure, but Peacock may make it available to stream regardless of location. Other than driving to Cincy or Louisville, that might be your best (legal) bet to getting it.

We loved the ability to watch it live last year too. I was hoping they’d make it available again this year!

That stinks. Being in a crowd that size is still risky.

This involves a little travel, but can’t you travel to a sports bar in New Castle or Richmond that could show the race on Dayton NBC?

 

[K and K's Mommy]

We can watch it on Peacock. My husband and I both grew up in Indiana. We are so used to listening to it on the radio, that is how we still did it the past two years. Last year the radio was ahead of the tv, so my kids could hear us getting excited for Helio before they knew the outcome!

 

[Claudia1]

Peacock for the win!

 

[bcla]

I'm currently watching it on the NBCSports app on my Samsung TV. I will note that the resolution (looks like 4K) is way better than through my cable TV provider - Comcast through the Xfinity Streaming Beta app, which I believe it 1080p. And then probably Peacock will work. And yeah they're all really just part of NBCUniversal.

However, I believe for watching it on various streaming services, the big thing is that the streaming is likely tied to your TV service provider. So if it's locked out there's no official way to get around it.

There may be some other ways to find a stream somewhere, but I won't say.

 

[Claudia1]

I've also found it on another NBC affiliate on our Xfinity Comcast from northern IN. There are more options this year than I anticipated. I fully expected Xfinity to block all feeds for us but we have been able to watch it LEGALLY with our Xfinity login, which identifies our location at home in the blocked out area.

However, I believe for watching it on various streaming services, the big thing is that the streaming is likely tied to your TV service provider. So if it's locked out there's no official way to get around it.

There may be some other ways to find a stream somewhere, but I won't say.

Yes, I agree! I was never asking for anything that wasn't officially allowed. Point well taken.

 

[bcla]

I've also found it on another NBC affiliate on our Xfinity Comcast from northern IN. There are more options this year than I anticipated. I fully expected Xfinity to block all feeds for us but we have been able to watch it LEGALLY with our Xfinity login, which identifies our location at home in the blocked out area.


Yes, I agree! I was never asking for anything that wasn't officially allowed. Point well taken.

Peacock is one of those weird things. I get the $4.99 monthly tier included with my Comcast subscription, but I don't think the Peacock content is necessarily tied to any kind of cable/satellite TV package.

I also wanted to try out Paramount Plus, which gives access to most CBS content with or without a cable/satellite package with access to a local CBS station. However, I don't think they have live content like Peacock has.