The 150th running of the Kentucky Derby is today. More than 150,000 fans are expected to pack into Churchill Downs to watch the first leg of horse racing's Triple Crown.
There are a few standout favorites heading into Saturday's race, including Sierra Leone, with odds of 3-1, and Fierceness, currently handicapped at 5-2. You can see all of the Derby odds here.
If you're not traveling to Kentucky to experience the "most exciting two minutes in sports" firsthand, there are plenty of ways to feel the energy of the race from home. Here are the best ways to watch the race live.
Sierra Leone is one of the favorites going into this Saturday's Derby.
Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesThe Kentucky Derby takes place today on Saturday, May 4. TV coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock and runs until 7:30 p.m. ET.
Post time is set for approximately 6:57 p.m. ET (3:57 p.m. PT), that's at 11:57 p.m. BST start on Saturday night in the UK and 8:57 a.m. AEST on Sunday morning for those watching live in Australia.
If you don't have cable, you still have plenty of options. The least expensive that doesn't require streaming is to connect an over-the-air antenna to your TV and tune in to your local NBC station.
If you're streaming on a PC, phone or tablet, you can watch on NBCSports.com, Peacock Premium or the NBC Sports app.
You could also check out a live TV streaming service, all of which offer free trials. Not every service carries your local NBC station, however, so check the links below to make sure.
If you find yourself unable to view the Kentucky Derby locally, you may need a different way to watch the race -- that's where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it's also a great idea if you're traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you're able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. Most VPNs, like our Editors' Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you're streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
Horse Racing fans in the UK can watch all of the action live from Churchill Downs via Sky and its Sky Sports Racing channel. If you already have Sky Sports as part of your TV package, you can stream the Kentucky Derby via its Sky Go app, but cord-cutters will want to get set up with a Now account, and a Now Sports membership, to stream the race.
While TSN has been the long-term broadcaster of the Run for the Roses across the border, this year's event isn't currently on the network's schedule.
Racing fans Down Under can watch this year's event on ESPN via Foxtel. If you're not a Fox subscriber, your best option is to sign up to streaming service Kayo Sports.
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