Kentucky Derby winner Mage could take a step closer to legendary status on Saturday, as the Gustavo Delgado trained horse lines up in the Preakness Stakes.

A fortnight on from triumphing at Churchill Downs, the chestnut colt is a confirmed runner at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, keeping alive hopes of his historic pursuit of horse racing’s Triple Crown.

Those hopes have increased with the news that First Mission, widely thought to be his biggest challenger, was ruled out of action on Friday thanks to a left hind ankle injury, with the Bob Baffert-trained National Treasure now set to be the main position in the seven-horse field.

The 2023 Preakness Stakes takes place today and will be broadcast on NBC. Here’s how you can watch live, no matter where you are in the world.

When does the Preakness Stakes start?

The Preakness Stakes takes place today, May 20. TV coverage begins at 1 p.m. ET on CNBC and Peacock before moving to NBC from 4:30 p.m. ET. 

Post time is set for approximately 6:50 p.m. ET (3:50 p.m. PT) — that’s a 11:50 p.m. BST start on Saturday night in the UK and 8:50 a.m. AEST on Sunday morning for those watching live in Australia.

How can I watch the Preakness Stakes on TV in the US?

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 watch 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.

How to watch the Preakness Stakes 2023 online from anywhere using a VPN

If you find yourself unable to view the Preakness Stakes 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.

ExpressVPN

Best VPN for streaming

ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It’s normally $13 per month, and you can sign up for ExpressVPN and save 49% plus get three months of access for free — the equivalent of $6.67 per month — if you get an annual subscription.

Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Livestream the Preakness Stakes 2023 in the UK

Horse racing fans in the UK can watch all of the action live from Maryland via Sky and its At The Races channel. If you already have Sky Sports as part of your TV package, you can stream the Preakness Stakes 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. 

Can I livestream the Preakness Stakes in Canada?

While TSN has been the long-term broadcaster of the Preakness Stakes across the border, this year’s event isn’t currently on the network’s schedule.

Livestream the Preakness Stakes in Australia

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.

Quick tips for streaming the Preakness Stakes 2023 using a VPN 

• With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming the race may vary.
• If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the «search for city or country» option.
• If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
• All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location. 
• And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.