After a delay of almost four months amid the coronavirus pandemic, the NTT IndyCar Series finally begin its 2020 season with a race at Texas. Almost a month later, IndyCar's modified 2020 schedule resumes with a high-profile race on a TV channel that will allow for maximum viewership.
It was not intended to be the second race of the season, but the GMR Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course will run Saturday on its new date without fans in attendance. The start time for Saturday's race at Indy is noon ET, and it will broadcast live on cable network NBC.
MORE: Watch today's IndyCar race live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)
The GMR Grand Prix at Indianapolis was moved back from its traditional May date so it could be part of a historic doubleheader with NASCAR. An Xfinity Series race will run on the IMS oval after the IndyCar race on the road course Saturday, and on Sunday, NASCAR's Cup Series will run the Brickyard 400.
“For very good reason, this historic pairing will be circled on the calendar of every motorsports fan,” said J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s president. “We appreciate our friends at NASCAR for their flexibility and support in this matter and will work with them on a memorable, exciting weekend of racing action.”
Below is how to watch Saturday's IndyCar race at Indianapolis, including the TV channel and live stream options.
What channel is the IndyCar race on today?
- Race: GMR Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
- Date: Saturday, July 4
- TV channel: NBC
- Live stream: NBC Sports Gold | fuboTV (7-day free trial)
- In Canada: SN/SN 360
Though Saturday's race will broadcast live on cable network NBC starting at noon ET, Friday's qualifying session at 4:30 p.m. ET will be shown on NBCSN. Friday's practice session (11:30 a.m. ET) and Saturday's race warm-up (9 a.m. ET) will be shown on NBC Sports Gold.
Of the 14 races on IndyCar's modified schedule for 2020, eight are expected to be shown on NBC, with the others scheduled to broadcast on NBCSN.
In Canada, the race is available on SN/SN 360.
Below are the top 40 TV markets in the Unites States and the local NBC affiliate for each.
| Market | NBC TV channel (digital) |
| New York | 4 (36) |
| Los Angeles | 4 (36) |
| Chicago | 5 (29) |
| Philadelphia | 10 (34) |
| Dallas-Ft. Worth | 5 (24) |
| San Francisco/Bay area | 11 (12) |
| Washington D.C. | 4 (48) |
| Houston | 2 (35) |
| Boston | 15 (43) |
| Atlanta | 11 (10) |
| Phoenix | 12 (12) |
| Tampa/St. Petersburg | 8 (7) |
| Seattle | 5 (48) |
| Detroit | 4 (45) |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 11 (11) |
| Miami | 6 (31) |
| Denver | 9 (9) |
| Orlando | 2 (11) |
| Cleveland | 3 (17) |
| Sacramento | 3 (35) |
| Charlotte | 36 (22) |
| Portland | 8 (8) |
| St. Louis | 5 (35) |
| Pittsburgh | 11 (23) |
| Baltimore | 11 (11) |
| Raleigh-Durham | 5 (48) |
| Nashville | 4 (10) |
| San Diego | 39 (40) |
| Salt Lake City | 5 (38) |
| San Antonio | 3 (16) |
| Kansas City | 41 (36) |
| Columbus | 4 (14) |
| Milwaukee | 4 (28) |
| Cincinnati | 5 (35) |
| Las Vegas | 3 (22) |
| Jacksonville | 12 (13) |
| Oklahoma City | 4 (27) |
| New Orleans | 6 (43) |
| Memphis | 5 (5) |
| Buffalo | 2 (33) |
NBC Sports’ lead IndyCar broadcast team of Leigh Diffey (play-by-play), Townsend Bell (analyst) and Paul Tracy (analyst) will call Saturday race at Indianapolis.
What time does the IndyCar race start today?
- Date: Saturday, July 4
- Start time: Noon ET
While the IndyCar race at Indianapolis doesn't start until noon ET on Saturday, there will be more on-track action prior to the main event. A 30-minute race warm-up session, which will be shown live on NBC Sports Gold, is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. ET.
NBC also will broadcast the NASCAR Xfinity Series race starting at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, plus that event's pre-race show starting at 2 p.m. ET.
Below is the complete TV schedule for the weekend's IndyCar events at Indianapolis.
| Event | Time | TV channel |
| Practice | 11:30 a.m. ET (Friday) | N/A |
| Qualifying | 4:30 p.m. ET (Friday) | NBCSN |
| Warm-up | 9 a.m. ET (Saturday) | N/A |
| Race | Noon ET | NBC |
IndyCar live stream for Indianapolis Grand Prix
For those who don't have a cable or satellite subscription, there are five major OTT TV streaming options that carry NBC — Sling, Hulu, YouTubeTV, fuboTV and AT&T Now. Of the five, Hulu, YouTubeTV and fuboTV offer free trial options.
Below are links to each.
- Sling
- Hulu (free trial)
- YouTubeTV (free trial)
- fuboTV (free trial)
- AT&T Now
For those who do have a cable or satellite subscription but are not in front of a TV, IndyCar races in 2020 can be streamed live via phones, tablets and other devices on NBCSports.com and on the NBC Sports app with authentication.
All 2020 IndyCar races and practice/qualifying sessions also can be streamed live on NBC Sports Gold's IndyCar Pass for $54.99 a year.
IndyCar schedule 2020
The updated IndyCar schedule for 2020 was released May 21 with the previously announced season-opener set for June 6 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Below is the complete schedule (TV info via NBC Sports):
| Date | Start time | Race | Track (Track type) | TV channel |
| June 6 | 8 p.m. ET | Genesys 300 | Texas Motor Speedway (oval) | NBC |
| July 4 | 12:15 p.m. ET | GMR Grand Prix | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (road course) | NBC |
| July 11 | 12:50 p.m. ET | REV Group Grand Prix at Road America Race 1 | Road America (road course) | NBC |
| July 12 | 12:50 p.m. ET | REV Group Grand Prix at Road America Race 2 | Road America (road course) | NBC |
| July 17 | 9 p.m. ET | Iowa Speedway Race 1 | Iowa Speedway (oval) | TBD |
| July 18 | 9 p.m. ET | Iowa 300 | Iowa Speedway (oval) | NBCSN |
| Aug. 9 | 12:45 p.m. ET | Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (road course) | NBC |
| Aug. 23 | 1 p.m. ET | Indy 500 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (oval) | NBC |
| Aug. 30 | 3 p.m. ET | Bommarito Automotive Group 500 | World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway (oval) | NBCSN |
| Sept. 13 | 3:40 p.m. ET | Grand Prix of Portland | Portland International Raceway (road course) | NBC |
| Sept. 19 | 3:25 p.m. ET | Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 1 | WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (road course) | TBD |
| Sept. 20 | 3:25 p.m. ET | Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 2 | WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (road course) | NBC |
| Oct. 3 | 3:50 p.m. ET | IndyCar Harvest Grand Prix | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (road course) | TBD |
| Oct. 25 | 3:30 p.m. ET | Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg | The streets of St. Petersburg (street course) | TBD |