How to watch Preakness Stakes 2026: horse racing live streams, runners & riders

Jockey Umberto Rispoli celebrates aboard Journalism as they ride to a win in the Preakness Stakes.
(Image credit: Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

Watch Preakness Stakes 2026 live streams as, the 151st edition of the famous race will take place away from the Pimlico Race Course and head 25 miles south-west to Laurel Park, Maryland, as its traditional home undergoes renovations.

As usual, though, you can watch 2026 Preakness Stakes racing from anywhere with a VPN.

The Preakness Stakes 2026 live stream takes place on Saturday, May 16.
Time: From 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT / 12 a.m. BST (Sun) / 9 a.m. AEST (Sun)
• U.S. — Watch on NBC / Peacock
• U.K. — Sky Sports
• Canada — Citytv (Prime Video free trial)
• Watch anywhere — try NordVPN 100% risk free

The second jewel in 2026's Triple Crown races is no less rich for its temporary change of home, with a total 2026 Preakness Stakes prize purse of $2 million, of which $1.2 million will go to the winner.

Among those most likely to make it to the finishing post first are "Taj Mahal" (ridden by Sheldon Russell) and "Napoleon Solo" (Paco Lopez), the only Grade 1 winner in the field after victory at the Champagne Stakes. To do so, however they'll have to get past several previous winning jockeys of the race, including Jaime Torres on "Incredibolt", John R. Velazquez on "Corona de Oro", Tyler Gaffalione on "Ocelli" and, the early banker with some bookmakers, Flavien Prat on "Iron Honor".

At least they won't have to contend with Kentucky Derby winner "Golden Tempo", although his victorious rider José Ortiz is another among the favorites riding "Chip Honcho".

Who will succeed last year's winner "Journalism" in the Run for the Black-Eyed Susans? Read on to find out how you can watch Preakness Stakes 2026 online and on TV wherever you are.

Can I watch Preakness Stakes 2026 for free?

Unlike some major races, the 2026 Preakness Stakes is generally locked behind a paywall the world over.

However, you can watch NBC's coverage in the U.S. using a limited-time free trial of cord cutting services such as free on YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV. And, in Canada, you can get a 7-day free trial to the Citytv+ Prime Video channel.

Alternatively, you can get access to Peacock's coverage for next to nothing. The streaming service is part of the Walmart+ bundle that you can try for 30 days for just $1.

Not in your home country? You'll need a VPN, we recommend NordVPN .

How to watch Preakness Stakes 2026 from anywhere

Away from home at the moment and blocked from watching the horse racing on your usual subscription?

You can still watch the 2026 Preakness Stakes live thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software allows your devices to appear to be back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are, making it ideal for viewers away on vacation or on business. Our favorite is NordVPN. It's the best on the market:

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Use NordVPN to unblock your usual streaming service and watch Preakness Stakes 2026 live with this exclusive deal.

Using a VPN is incredibly simple.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're away from the U.S. and want to view your usual service, you'd select a United States server from the list.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to a service listed here that's showing the Preakness Stakes and watch the racing.

How to watch Preakness Stakes 2026 in the U.S.

US flag

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

The 2026 Preakness Stakes will go out live on NBC in the U.S.

You can watch NBC on cable, through an antenna or an OTT online streamer such as Sling TV (in selected cities), YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV. There are free trials of the latter two.

You'll also be able to stream this year's on Peacock — NBC's streaming service. You'll need a Premium subscription, which starts from $10.99/month, or add access to Apple TV and pay from $14.99/month. Or get Peacock Premium as part of a 30-day Walmart+ trial for just $1.

FanDuel TV will carry free streams of some earlier races in the day, but not the Preakness Stakes itself.

Away on vacation or with work? NordVPN will help you watch your regular horse racing streams as if you were back home.

How to watch Preakness Stakes 2026 in the U.K.

British flag

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

For Preakness Stakes 2026 coverage in the U.K. you'll need access to Sky Sports Racing or you can subscribe to a Now Sports Membership from £14.99/day.

If you're outside of the U.K. when it's on, you can use a VPN to get around the geo-restrictions that will prevent Sky Go or the Now app from working.

How to watch Preakness Stakes 2026 in Canada

Canadian flag

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Canadians can watch the 2026 Preakness Stakes live on Citytv, which is available from many cable providers. If you do already have access, you can also stream the race online on your web browser or the Citytv app.

If you don't have the channel but still want to watch, you can do so through the dedicated Citytv+ Prime Video channel. It costs $9.99/month, but there's a 7-day free trial available for new users.

If you live in Canada but aren't at home right now, you can still watch live streams by using a quality VPN like NordVPN to unlock your usual service.

Can I watch Preakness Stakes 2026 in Australia?

Australian flag

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

While most big races from the U.S. go out on either Foxtel or Racing.com in Australia, neither are displaying the 2026 Preakness Stakes in their schedules. So, unless that changes before the post time on Sunday morning Down Under, it doesn't look like the race will be shown.

If you're from one of the countries above but find yourself in Australia this weekend and unable to watch the race, use a VPN to watch your geo-restricted streams as normal.

Preakness Stakes 2026 runners & riders

  1. Taj Mahal (Sheldon Russell)
  2. Ocelli (Tyler Gaffalione)
  3. Crupper (Junior Alvarado)
  4. Robusta (Rafael Bejarano)
  5. Talkin (Irad Ortiz Jr.)
  6. Chip Honcho (José Ortiz)
  7. The Hell We Did (Luis Saez)
  8. Bull by the Horns (Micah Husbands)
  9. Iron Honor (Flavien Prat)
  10. Napoleon Solo (Paco Lopez)
  11. Corona de Oro (John R. Velazquez)
  12. Incredibolt (Jaime Torres)
  13. Great White (Alex Achard)
  14. Pretty Boy Miah (Ricardo Santana Jr.)

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Disclaimer

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Contributor

Adam was the Content Director of Subscriptions and Services at Future, meaning that he oversaw many of the articles the publisher produces about antivirus software, VPN, TV streaming, broadband and mobile phone contracts - from buying guides and deals news, to industry interest pieces and reviews. Adam can still be seen dusting his keyboard off to write articles for the likes of TechRadar, T3 and Tom's Guide, having started his career at consumer champions Which?.

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