Watch the Olympics Online

The next Winter Olympics will be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and will start on February 9, 2018; the next Summer Olympics will be in Tokyo, Japan, and start on July 24, 2020. If you want to tune in, you're in luck — online coverage is available in dozens of countries. To watch the Olympics online, you'll need to identify the network with broadcasting rights in your country, then access coverage through that network's website or through a subscription app.

Steps

Watching in the United States

  1. Sign in online with your cable subscription. NBC is the main US broadcaster for the 2016 Rio Olympics. If your cable subscription includes access to NBC or any of its NBCUniversal channels, you can use your cable login info to stream all Olympics coverage live from the NBC website.[1] Visit http://www.nbcolympics.com/ to get started. The first time you view Olympic coverage on the site, click "Sign In" under the video and enter your cable login info.
    • In some cases, NBC will detect your cable service from your network and log you in automatically.
    • If you do not have a cable subscription, you can still access 30 minutes of coverage, plus 5 additional minutes every day. Extra features such as athlete interviews are available to everyone for free.[2] See below for alternatives that provide full access.
  2. Log in to the NBC Sports app. You can also use your cable subscription login to use the NBC Sports app. This offers live streaming and video on the following devices:[3]
    • iPhone, iPad, or IPod Touch running iOS 7.0+
    • Android 4.0+
    • Windows 10, Windows 10 Mobile
    • AppleTV, Roku devices
    • If you're only interested in Olympics coverage, you can download the NBC Olympics app for iOS or Android.[4]
  3. Sign up for PlayStation Vue instead. This internet TV service is available throughout the whole US, and does not require a cable subscription. Take advantage of the seven day free trial, then sign up for a monthly subscription if you're hooked.[5]
    • Before signing up, check the fine print. Make sure it works on your device, and that the plan includes your favorite events. Some coverage such as the Golf Channel may cost extra.
  4. Use Sling TV. Sling TV is only available in select urban areas. It includes most live coverage, but no on-demand video. Sling also offers a seven-day free trial, so if you sign up for it after your Vue trial expires, you can watch the whole Games for free. Choose the Sling Blue plan for maximum Olympics coverage.[2]
  5. Look up specific events. Visit http://www.nbcolympics.com/live-stream-schedule to see upcoming coverage. Explore the top menu links for additional options, including on-demand video if your subscription allows it.
    • To view the Spanish coverage, click En Español in the top right corner of the page.
  6. Connect online coverage to your big screen. If you have the right kind of TV (one with HDMI inputs) and the right kind of computer (outputs for visual and audio, preferably an HDMI output), then you can connect your computer to your television and watch the Olympic coverage on your big screen. Follow general instructions here and get Mac instructions here.
  7. Troubleshoot technical issues. If you can't watch the Olympics coverage, try these steps:[4]
    • If your login info doesn't work, visit your cable service provider's website and look for a "forgot your password" link on the login screen. Alternatively, contact your cable service provider customer support.
    • Update-Your-Browser to the latest version. NBC recommends Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, or Chrome.[4]
    • Update-Adobe-Flash-Player.

Watching in the UK, Canada, or Australia

  1. Watch in the UK. The BBC will be streaming the Olympics live on their sports website. Use the Schedule link at the top of the page to view upcoming streams. The coverage is available to anyone in the United Kingdom for free.
    • You can also stream most Olympic coverage live on BBC iPlayer up to 30 days after the event.[6] For a daily highlights video, download the Olympics Playlist on iPlayer.[7]
  2. Watch in Canada. CBC is the main Canadian broadcaster. Anyone in Canada can view their Olympics coverage for free from several online sources:
    • On a computer's web browser, visit http://olympics.cbc.ca/index.html. This includes live streams as well as video on-demand throughout 2016.
    • On a mobile phone or tablet, download the free CBC’s App for Rio 2016, available for iOS 8.0+ and Android 4.2+.[8]
    • You can also find full or partial coverage on several other websites and apps, including Radio-Canada, Sportsnet, RDS, and Shaw on Demand.[9]
  3. Watch in Australia. To watch the coverage online, visit the Seven Network's Olympics website and submit your location info, including your four-digit Australian postcode. To watch from a mobile device, download the Olympics on 7 app for iOS or Android. The app is free, but additional "premium" content is available for a one-time purchase.[10]
    • TelstraTV or 4th-generation AppleTV users can download the PLUS7 app to view free Olympic content. Premium content is not available on these platforms.

Watching Elsewhere or Without Cable Service

  1. Check for official broadcasts. Visit the official 2016 Olympics broadcaster page. Select your continent, then your country to find out which networks are providing coverage in your country. Online sources are labeled "internet" or "VoD," while apps are labeled "mobile."
  2. Use-VPN. If your country does not have official online coverage, or if you do not have the necessary cable subscription to access it, consider a VPN extension. This will allow you to visit another country's broadcasting website (such as Canada's CBC or the UK's BBC) and trick it into thinking you're visiting from within the country.
    • You can install VPN extensions for both Firefox and Chrome. These extensions are available for free, but may be ad-supported.
    • This practice is legal in almost all countries, except for a few with heavy government censorship. It is against the terms of service, so there is a small risk you will be discovered and blocked.[11]
  3. Switch your browser to the target country. For example, if you plan on watching through the Canadian CBC player, click the extension icon in your browser and select a Canadian server. Your traffic will be routed through that server on the way to the CBC site, making it think you are visiting from within Canada.
    • If you want to watch through the BBC site, use a UK server.
  4. Watch the streaming video. You should now be able to access the streaming content as if you were normally accessing the site. You may experience some delay and slow connections as data is transferred between the proxy server, the website, and you. If the connection is extremely slow, try switching to another server using your VPN extension's settings.
  5. Try a TV streaming site. There are a variety of sites where users can stream sporting events. These are not official sites, and finding a working stream can be a little difficult. The plus side, however, is that you don't need to install any browser plugins in order for them to work. Be aware that accessing these sites may be illegal in your country, or in a legal grey area.

Watching Other Material

  1. Watch replays on NBC's YouTube feed. Both the IOC and NBC are offering video highlights of the games on YouTube. In the case of the IOC YouTube channel, they are also offering videos of historic moments in Olympic history.
  2. Follow the Olympics on social networks. Neither Facebook nor Twitter will be offering live feeds, but both will be constantly updated by NBC, fans, and every news source in the world.
    • Facebook offers the NBC Olympics page, including exclusive content, fan commentary, and more.
    • Follow NBCOlympics on Twitter to keep up with events, moment by moment.
  3. Get an app. Apps can be installed on your iPhone, Android, or Blackberry, and include in-depth information and guides for the games. Find an official app from the IOC, NBC, or another reputable source.
  4. Access the IOC archive. To view the highlights of previous Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee has an "archive" of previous Olympic Games from which videos of highlights can be accessed.

Tips

  • Pay attention to time differences when choosing to watch live coverage. Rio's timezone is three hours behind (UTC-3) Universal Time (Greenwich Mean Time Zone). Your broadcaster may delay the coverage for some events, so it's best to check with the broadcaster's schedule for your time zone.

Warnings

  • Be careful with unfamiliar websites that claim to offer Olympic coverage. Providing personal information or clicking download links could make you vulnerable to a computer virus or spam mail.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.nbcolympics.com/news/how-watch-rio-2016-olympic-games
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/2016-rio-summer-olympics/how-watch-olympics-without-tv-n623111
  3. ↑ http://www.nbcsports.com/sports-mobile
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 http://www.nbcolympics.com/watch-live
  5. ↑ http://qz.com/751063/how-to-watch-the-2016-rio-olympics-on-tv-and-every-other-device/
  6. ↑ http://iplayerhelp.external.bbc.co.uk/tv/rio_olympics_2016
  7. ↑ http://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/36989544
  8. ↑ https://cbchelp.cbc.ca/hc/en-us/articles/222728187-Streaming-Rio-2016-Olympic-content-on-a-desktop-via-browser
  9. ↑ https://www.olympic.org/rio-2016/broadcasters
  10. ↑ http://www.smh.com.au/technology/gadgets-on-the-go/sevens-olympics-streaming-finally-puts-viewers-in-control-20160804-gqlkgr.html
  11. ↑ https://invisibler.com/wait-is-it-legal-for-you-to-use-a-vpn/
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