How to watch the Preakness Stakes live stream for free from anywhere

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After an exciting photo finish at this year's Kentucky Derby, the next race in the famous Triple Crown series gets underway today, but will Mystic Dan pick up a second win? You won't want to miss this one, and we can show you how to watch the Preakness Stakes live stream for free, no matter what country you're in right now.

The main event is set for 6:50 p.m. ET, but coverage across various channels worldwide begins hours before, so settle in for hours of live horse racing fun today ahead of the main Preakness Stakes sprint, which is only 1 3/16 miles long.

In the US, you'll find the main Preakness Stakes race on live TV via NBC (earlier footage pre-4:30 p.m. is on CNBC). If you don't have access, you'll find it on the affordable Peacock streaming service. Better yet, we've found a free streaming option via an Irish TV channel that you can stream online from anywhere if you have a VPN (we'll explain how to use one further down the page if you need help).

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How to watch the Preakness Stakes in the US

Preakness Stakes coverage falls under the NBCUniversal umbrella in the US. From 12 p.m. ET to 2:30 p.m. ET, coverage aired on USA Network and Peacock. From 2:30 p.m. ET to 7:30 p.m. ET, coverage airs on NBC and Peacock.

There are several races at Churchill Downs throughout the day, but the main Preakness Stakes event is scheduled for 6:57 p.m. ET and lasts about two minutes. For cord-cutters, you can live stream all of the action through Peacock. Subscriptions start at $5.99 a month. 

How to watch the Preakness Stakes in the UK

The Preakness Stakes will air on Sky Sports in the UK. For British cord-cutters, you can stream this action through a Now TV account. Now Sports' one-off day memberships start at £14.99.  The actual race is expected to start at 11:50 p.m. BST.

How to watch the Preakness Stakes in Ireland

In Ireland, the Preakness Stakes will stream through Virgin Media 2. This is a free streaming option that requires no account creation, so viewers just need to navigate to the live TV portion of the website at race time. While the race starts quite late (11:50 p.m. BST), coverage starts at 9:30 p.m.

How to watch the Preakness Stakes free from anywhere

If you're outside of Ireland at race time but are still hoping to access the free Preakness Stakes live stream, you can use a VPN (virtual private network). VPNs are easy ways to temporarily alter your device's virtual location to access websites and apps that vary in availability from region to region. They're popular among those seeking increased internet privacy and access to their websites while traveling away from home.

If you're interested in trying out a VPN, our go-to is ExpressVPN, a beginner-friendly option with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Check out our ExpressVPN review for more information, and keep reading to learn how to use it. 

How to watch the Preakness Stakes with a VPN

• Sign up for a VPN if you don't have one.
• Install it on the device you're using to watch the race.
• Set the location to Ireland.
• Go to Virgin Media 2.
• Enjoy the Preakness Stakes.

Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.