Kentucky Derby 2024 live stream: Can you watch for free?

The 150th running of the Kentucky Derby takes place this weekend, as Fierceness, Sierra Leone and the top three-year-old thoroughbreds will compete in the most anticipated race of the year.

The 2024 Kentucky Derby starts today at 6:57 p.m. ET, and will be televised on NBC. The undercard races are about to start, at 12:00 p.m. ET on USA Network and then moving to NBC at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Fortunately, if you don’t have cable or don’t have access to those channels, there are many ways you can watch a live stream of the 2024 Kentucky Derby, including three different free options.

Is There a Free Kentucky Derby Live Stream?

Most live-TV streaming services include NBC and USA Network, but three of those also offer a free trial, allowing you to watch the Kentucky Derby–and all of the prep races–without paying anything: Fubo (“Pro” channel package), YouTube TV (“Base Plan”) and DirecTV Stream (“Entertainment” package or above).

The Fubo free trial lasts for seven days, while YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream each give you five days for free. That means you can sign up for one of these streaming services, watch all of the Derby Day races and then cancel your subscription. It’s as easy as that.

Watch the Kentucky Derby on Peacock

Of course, if you’ve already used up your free trials for Fubo, DirecTV Stream and YouTube TV, then those become much more expensive options, as they are intended to fully replace cable and have monthly prices that reflect that. If that’s the case, and you just want to watch the Kentucky Derby for as cheap as possible, then Peacock is the clear answer.

You can watch a live stream of the Kentucky Derby and the Derby Day prep races with a subscription to Peacock’s “Premier” plan, which costs just $6 per month or $60 for the year. In addition to the Kentucky Derby, you’ll also be able to watch Premier League, PGA Tour, WWE, other live sports and hundreds of hours of on-demand TV shows and movies. In fact, it’s an excellent value whether or not you want to watch the Kentucky Derby.

Watch the Kentucky Derby Live Stream from Abroad

If you’re trying to watch a live stream of the Kentucky Derby from somewhere outside of the United States, you can combine one of the aforementioned streaming services with a virtual private network (VPN). All of those streaming services are US-only, but a VPN can hide your location and allow you to bypass geo-locks. This means you can access US-only sites from abroad.

We recommend NordVPN, which is safe, fast and easy to use. But you can also check out our guides to the best VPN services or the best VPN deals if you’re searching for other options.