The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris kick off today, and for those who have cut the cord, there are plenty of ways to catch all the action without a traditional cable or satellite TV subscription.
Also: The best live TV streaming services
When do the Olympics start? And where can I watch?
The Olympics will officially open on Friday, July 26, 2024, at noon Eastern time — 6 p.m. Central European Time (CET) — in Paris with a ceremony on the River Seine. Some events, such as handball, rugby, and soccer, will begin earlier, on July 24 or July 25. NBC and Peacock will present live coverage of the opening ceremony on Friday, July 26. Telemundo will provide Spanish-language coverage at 1 p.m. ET. Primetime coverage will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and Peacock. The Games will feature 16 days of competition, ending on August 11, with around 10,500 athletes from over 200 nations competing.
NBCUniversal plans to provide at least nine hours of daytime coverage of the Summer Games' most exciting events. Altogether, NBC hopes to present 5,000 hours of live coverage from all 329 medal events. This will include live coverage of swimming, gymnastics, and track and field finals. The major events will be shown on NBC and Telemundo between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET. Olympics coverage will preempt all other shows. Other events will be carried on the USA Network, Golf Channel, CNBC, and E!. For Spanish speakers, check out Telemundo, and Universo.
With an over-the-air (OTA) antenna, you can watch many sports on NBC and Telemundo for free. This is a great option if you live in range of a broadcast tower. You can also watch the opening and closing ceremonies, some medal ceremonies, and highlights for free on the NBC Olympics website.
Also: The best TV antennas
If you're outside the US and want to specifically watch NBC's coverage, you may need to use a VPN to stream the Olympic Games. ExpressVPN is our tested pick for the best VPN for streaming.
Paris is six hours ahead of the United States' Eastern Time Zone. That means most major events will happen in the morning and afternoon for US viewers. The network will also show a three-hour Olympics prime-time show every evening. NBC promises that Paris 2024 will have more programming hours on the NBC broadcast network than any previous Olympics.
While the games will be produced in high-dynamic-range 4K video, it's unclear how much of that 4K video will be broadcast in the US, either on OTA or Peacock. Since NBC isn't boasting about it, I'm presuming the coverage will only be a few of the most popular events.
Here's ZDNET's comprehensive guide to watching the 2024 Paris Olympics, ensuring you don't miss a moment of the excitement.
Best live TV streaming services for the Summer Paris 2024 Olympics
For detailed schedules and updates, visit NBC Olympics.com or the official Paris Olympics website. I guarantee the schedules will change, so if there's a sport you follow closely, keep an eye on what's showing and when. Enjoy the Games!