Indy 500 Start Time & How To Watch Live

INDIANAPOLIS – The largest single day sporting event in the world is Sunday’s 109^th Indianapolis 500 and it’s too late to buy a ticket to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway because all grandstand seats are sold out.

But that doesn’t mean fans can’t catch all the action.

This is the first year the Indy 500 will be televised on FOX, and in true fashion, the network is provided tremendous coverage including a 2-1/2-hour pre-race show that begins at 10 a.m. Eastern Time.

FOX has been at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since the beginning of practice for the Sonsio Grand Prix on the IMS road course at the beginning of the month and has aired coverage of all practice and qualification sessions leading into the biggest race of the year.

By the time the Indianapolis 500 concludes, FOX will have aired 60 hours of live coverage.

“It’s ultimately the same equation for the drivers and team,” Buxton told me Thursday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “It’s preparation. It’s feeling the moment and being at one with what’s going on around you.

“I hope we were able to bring a level of insight and introspection into what was going on, thankfully to these guys sitting next to me who have done it, lived it.

“Some history, some stats, some fun bits, a bit of levity through it all because you can’t broadcast for six hours a day without having a giggle. When the moment got serious, to be there and call it as it happened and hopefully bring some of that excitement with it.

“Ultimately, I think what we’re trying to do with the broadcast is to make the folks at home feel like they’re in the booth with us, that’s it’s just a bunch of mates sitting around chatting about racing, as if we were at a watch party in a bar sitting on a couch with them at home, answering any questions they might have.

“Most of it’s about getting on, being friends, bringing it to the people at home.”

FOX Indianapolis 500 Pre-Race Show

Tony Stewart, the 1997 IndyCar Series champion, and Danica Patrick, who led 19 laps in the iconic race in 2005 and finished third in 2009, the highest finish ever by a woman, are joined by veteran FOX broadcaster Chris Myers, bolstering the FOX IndyCar broadcast lineup for this year’s Indy 500.

Tom Rinaldi, winner of 17 national Sports Emmy Awards and seven national Edward R. Murrow Awards, will offer feature interviews. Little will have a sit-down interview with NASCAR champion Kyle Larson, who once again is attempting the Indy 500/Coca-Cola 600 “double.”

FOX Sports reporter Erin Andrews, the first woman singularly honored with the Pat Summerall Award, will have a conversation with two-time defending Indianapolis 500 champion Josef Newgarden.

Myers will serve as host with commentary from Stewart and Patrick.

FOX Indianapolis 500 Race

FOX IndyCar play-by-play announcer Will Buxton is joined by 9-time Indianapolis 500 entrant James Hinchcliffe and 10-time Indy 500 racer Townsend Bell on the call for the 109^th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, Sunday, May 25, on FOX, FOX Deportes and the FOX Sports app.

The green flag drops at 12:45 PM ET.

Jamie Little, the first female pit reporter for a television broadcast of the prestigious Indianapolis 500 (2004), covered 11 consecutive Indianapolis 500s from 2004 to 2014 and joins Kevin Lee and Georgia Henneberry on pit road for this year’s race. FOX IndyCar pit reporter Jack Harvey is attempting to make the race and will offer insights from behind the wheel.

FOX Sports Stars Join The Action

Seven-time Super Bowl champion and lead FOX NFL analyst Tom Brady will take the high-speed “Fastest Seat in Sports” ride along with 7-time NASCAR Cup Series champ and former NTT IndyCar Series driver Jimmie Johnson at the wheel, leading the field to the green flag for the Indy 500.

FOX NFL analyst, Super Bowl champion and Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan will drive the Indy 500 pace car, and 4-time Super Bowl winner and FOX NFL analyst Rob Gronkowski will serve as Grand Marshal of the infamous infield Indy 500 Snake Pit.

FOX Deportes

FOX Deportes presents its first broadcast of the Indy 500 with live coverage from Indianapolis beginning that began on Thursday, May 22. Motorsports reporter Giselle Zarur delivers interviews, features and live hits each day for TOTAL SPORTS 360, the network’s daily sports news program.

Sunday coverage kicks off at noon ET, featuring leading Spanish-language motorsports announcer Tony Rivera, Emmy Award-winner Jessi Losada and former IndyCar Series driver Oriol Servia, an 11-time Indy 500 racer, as analyst. Zarur reports from the pits.

Indianapolis 500 Stats

First Indianapolis 500: 1911

Circuit Length: 2.5-mile, rectangular oval including two long straights, four 90-degree turns and two short chutes.

Race Distances: 500 Miles

Number of Laps: 200 Laps

Race Record Average Speed: 190.690 miles per hour set by Helio Castroneves in 2021

Most Wins: Four — AJ Foyt (1961, 1964, 1967, 1977), Al Unser (1970, 1971, 1978 and 1987), Rick Mears (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991), Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021).

Most Pole Positions – Six — Rick Mears (1979, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991).

Fastest Pole – Scott McLaughlin, 2024, 234.220 miles per hour.

Fastest One-Lap Qualification Attempt – Arie Luyendyk, 1996, 237.498 mph

Fastest Four-Lap Qualification Attempt – Arie Luyendyk, 1996, 236.986 mph (Did not count for pole because the speed was posted on the second day of qualifications. Back then, the pole was awarded on Day 1 of qualifications).

FOX Weekend Coverage

Saturday, May 24

100 Days to INDY, premiere – 1:30-2:30 PM Eastern Time, FOX

Sunday, May 25

Indianapolis 500 Prerace – 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time, FOX

109^th Indianapolis 500 – 12:30-3:30 p.m. ET, FOX

Indianapolis 500 Postrace – 3:30-4 p.m. ET

Monday, May 26

Indianapolis 500 Victory Celebration – 8-11 p.m. ET, delayed

Where To Watch The 109^th Indianapolis 500

In the United States, the 109^th Indianapolis 500 can be seen on FOX, FOX Deportes and the FOX Sports App.

The Indianapolis 500 is an international event and fans around the globe can watch the world’s biggest race on a number of stations.

Below is a list of all international IndyCar television providers:

Africa and the Middle East:

INDYCAR LIVE — Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine (West Bank), Qatar, Tunisia

ESPN – South Africa, Sub Saharan Africa.

CANAL+ — Sub-Saharan Africa

Asia and Pacific Rim

INDYCAR LIVE — Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunel, Cambodia, East Timor, Guam, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Soloman Islands, Tona, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.

Gaora Sports – Japan

Canal+ — Myanmar

K+ — Vietnam

Australia and New Zealand

Stan. Sport – Australia

Sky Sport – New Zealand

Canada

TSN, TSN+

Europe

INDYCAR Live – Albania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Cyprus Greece, Malta, Romania, Slovakia.

VOO Sport World – Belgium

Viaplay – Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania

Canal+ — France, Monaco, Switzerland, Andorra

Motor+Vision – Germany, Austria, Switzerland

Arena 4 – Hungary

Sky Sports F1– United Kingdom, Ireland, Northen Ireland, Channel Islands

Sky Sports – Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Lichtenstein

Sky – Italy, San Marino, Vatican City

Sport TV – Portugal

M Moviestar+ — Spain, Andorra

#Vamos – Spain, Andorra (Indy 500 Only)

Ziggo Sport – The Netherlands

S Sport – Turkey, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Romania, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, C.I.S.

South America, Central America and Caribbean

ESPN – Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Venezuela.

IndyCar Live – Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago

Cultura — Brazil

INDYCAR LIVE – Belize, Suriname

United States

FOX, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.

On The Radio Dial

Can’t Watch On TV? Tune In To The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network with over 200 outlets around the world and Sirius XM Radio Channel 218.