How to watch the 2025 Indy 500 and IndyCar season (original) (raw)

The IndyCar Series brings together top racing drivers from around the world – some with history in Formula 1, Formula 2, NASCAR and sports cars – for a 17-race schedule across the US and Canada.

This weekend sees the flagship Indianapolis 500 oval race, a physically and psychologically gruelling, 500-mile test of both driver skill and car reliability that's conducted at speeds of well over 200mph in the world's highest capacity sports venue (257,325 seats, plus plenty of standing room for more).

It's part of motorsport's prestige 'Triple Crown' along with the 24 Hours of Le Mans and either the Formula 1 World Championship or Monaco grand prix. By either definition, only one person (Damon Hill's father Graham) has ever won all three.

The Indy 500 also comes with a host of distinctive and unusual traditions – the most famous of which is the winner being presented with a ceremonial pint of milk to drink after the race.

This year's race sees the first rookie pole winner in 42 years (2021 Formula 2 vice-champion Robert Shwartzman), with ex-F1 star Takuma Sato hoping to win his third 500 in second place.

josef newgarden drinks from a pint of milk as he celebrates his indy 500 win

James Gilbert//Getty Images

Related: Best streaming services

What to Read Next

Last year's winner Josef Newgarden starts on the last row for 2025's race, after his car failed a technical inspection on qualifying weekend. Will it affect his attempt to win a record-setting third Indy 500 in a row?

Meanwhile, McLaren F1 reserve driver Pato O'Ward will be hoping to win his first 500, after experiencing the heartbreak of losing the lead to Newgarden with just two corners to go last year. And Hélio Castroneves is hoping to win a record-breaking fifth Indy 500 just a fortnight after his 50th birthday.

Read on to find out how to catch this showpiece motor race live, along with the rest of the 2025 IndyCar Series.

pato o'ward, a racing driver, smiles as he stands on a racetrack, wearing his fireproof overalls, an arrow mclaren branded baseball cap and large aviator style sunglasses

Icon Sportswire//Getty Images

Watch Indy 500 and the IndyCar Series live in the UK

Watch the Indy 500 live in the UK with Sky

This year's Indy 500 coverage will air in the UK on Sky Sports F1 or NOW.

This Sunday (25 May), Indy 500 coverage will start on Sky Sports F1 straight after the Formula 1 Monaco grand prix, at 5.30pm.

Therefore it won't include most of the pre-race ceremonies, including the driver introductions and ceremonial command to "start your engines", but the green flag is due to drop at 5.45pm UK time – weather permitting.

Last year's race start time was delayed due to rain by several hours and didn't end until nearly 1am on Monday morning in the UK. So if there's bad weather on Sunday, prepare yourself for a long night.

Before that, on Friday 23 May, you'll be able to watch coverage of final practice (aka 'Carb Day') on Sky Sports Mix from 4pm (again, weather permitting).

The Pit Stop Challenge, a fun head-to-head between selected pit crews with a six-figure prize pot for the winning team to share, will air from 7.30pm that same night on Sky Sports F1.

robert shwartzman, a racing driver, sits on top of his car's aeroscreen wearing his fireproof overalls and smiles, holding a p1 pole position award trophy in his right hand and making the shape of a number one with his left forefinger

Icon Sportswire//Getty Images

Sky airs an international feed of US broadcaster Fox's coverage, including commentary from ex-F1 TV presenter Will Buxton with former IndyCar drivers Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe.

Sky Sports' Tom Gaymor provides additional commentary for UK viewers during ad breaks on race day, and posts updates on which channels IndyCar sessions will air on during the season on his social media.

Existing Sky Glass and Sky Stream customers can add all the Sky Sports channels to their plan from £20/month (usually £28/month) on a 24-month contract.

New customers can bundle these packages for £35/month (usually £46/month) with Sky Stream and its Sky Essential TV package (setup fees may apply).

NOW costs £14.99 for a day sports membership, or £27.99/month for the first six months (usually £34.99/month) if you're happy to commit to a minimum six-month term.

takuma sato, a racing driver, smiles as he stands on a race track, wearing his fireproof overalls and an indianapolis motor speedway branded baseball cap

SOPA Images//Getty Images

Remember that you'll also get coverage of Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3 and the all-women's F1 Academy via Sky Sports as well.

During the rest of the season, some IndyCar practice and qualifying sessions, plus action from feeder series Indy NXT, airs on Sky and NOW.

But to watch them all in real time or stream again, IndyCar's streaming service IndyCar Live Access Plus costs £3.99/month.

Note that you can't watch live races or the 2025 IndyCar season on IndyCar Live if you're in the UK – Sky has the exclusive on those. Replays are unlocked after 7 days.

Interested in talking about sport? Visit our dedicated sub-forum

You Might Like...

Best PS5 console deals

Credit: PlayStation

Where to buy Alison Hammond's outfits

Credit: Mark Bourdillon

Digital Spy Holidays - trips with TV experts

Headshot of Kate Goodacre

Kate (they/she) is a freelance writer, editor, digital editorial trainer and data technician who first joined Digital Spy as an overnight freelance sub-editor in January 2011, after studying a postgraduate diploma in journalism at Salford University while working part-time as a social researcher.
In July 2013, Kate joined the DS staff team as chief sub-editor and following six years as the site's managing editor, their role expanded to incorporate Hearst UK's entertainment portfolio (including Digital Spy and its sibling titles Best and Inside Soap) between late 2024 and early 2026.
Kate has worked as a writer and editor since 2006, with bylines syndicated across the Hearst network and at organisations including Metro. They started their career as a TV production runner for the BBC and contributed to various music websites, blogs and zines while based in Manchester.
During her time at DS, Kate has previously been a freelance sub-editor and chief sub-editor.
Kate's team at Digital Spy were proudly nominated in the Best Subbing/Production Team category at the BSME Talent Awards 2022. Over the years, she has contributed to coverage of many, many Prime Days and Black Friday/Cyber Monday, and was part of the team that launched the DS weekly TV newsletter in November 2019 – followed by the Top of the Shops e-commerce newsletter in May 2024.
Kate's screen passions include Taskmaster (their biggest career regret remains turning down the opportunity to visit the house), nature documentaries, and live sport (up there with the greatest of all soap operas although if asked to choose, it's Corrie_… every time).
Her highlights while working at DS have included interviewing Stevie Nicks on the red carpet for her documentary In Your Dreams,_ sitting at a press roundtable with Formula 1 commentary icon Murray Walker, watching a life-sized LEGO car being driven around Silverstone, writing an album-by-album retrospective of Lady Gaga's genre-defying career for Living Legends, and raising awareness of receiving and understanding a late-in-life ADHD diagnosis through the lens of Bianca and Freddie's EastEnders storyline.
Upon remembering to log off the internet, Kate enjoys live theatre, dance and comedy, appreciating nature, baking (badly), tending a recently-rented allotment (equally badly) and pampering one very spoiled rescue cat named Jolene.
LinkedIn