How to watch the 2024 Olympics live online for free—without cable
After a one-year delay due to COVID for the Tokyo Games, the Olympics are now back on their normal schedule—and the world’s best athletes will once again compete for their countries and themselves.
The much-anticipated Paris Games are underway, and you’ve got plenty of viewing options, as NBC’s Peacock adds another high-profile sporting event to its live sports lineup.
That means that regardless of your location, if want to keep up with the Games’ results without waiting for the tape-delayed prime time broadcast, there are plenty of ways to do so. Here are a few.
When are the 2024 Summer Olympics?
With the Opening Ceremonies now concluded, the Paris Olympics will run through Sunday, August 11.
What TV channels are airing the 2024 Summer Olympics?
NBC is once again the exclusive host network for the Olympics in the U.S. But it will be utilizing a number of NBCUniversal channels to air the widest spectrum of events, including USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC and the Golf Channel. Telemundo and Universo will provide Spanish-language coverage. The Games will also be carried on the Peacock streaming network, which will carry every event.
What sort of time delay is there with the 2024 Olympics?
Paris is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time and nine hours ahead of Pacific time. As a result, most events (and finals) will take place early in the morning U.S. time. As a result, NBC will air two daily Olympics shows, one that coincides with Paris’ prime time (from 2:00 p.m. ET through 5:00 p.m. ET) and another in traditional U.S. prime time, which wil show highlights.
Unless you’re able to adjust your work schedule to watch live, you’re going to have to dodge Olympic spoilers, so you might want to avoid social media for a few days.
What 2024 Olympic events will air on Peacock?
Basically, everything. Peacock will stream every event live and on demand as well as offer a daily recap for viewers. Peacock will also have a fully interactive Olympics experience, letting you decide how you build your own schedule of events and catch key highlights.
Want to watch more than one event at a time? No problem. A Multiview functionality will let you watch up to four sports simultaneously, letting you decide which audio feed you want. And a feature called Gold Zone will let you jump around between events and offer the option to switch to live coverage of featured events.
Full event replays will also be available on every event.
How can I watch the 2024 Olympics for free?
You won’t be able to watch every event, but NBC’s broadcast channel is the heart of the network’s coverage. The best way to watch that for free on a big screen is with a good HD antenna. Be sure to test the antenna in multiple locations in your home to find the most reliable signal.
How can I stream the 2024 Paris Olympics live online if I don’t have a cable subscription?
Peacock, as you might guess, is your best choice, but there are several other streaming options to choose from – some free, some with free trial periods and some requiring a log-in from your cable or satellite provider.
NBC has set up the NBCOlympics.com website and offers the NBCSports app with the widest variety of options. Otherwise, try one of these:
Disney+
Disney’s bundle of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ no longer has a free trial, so you’ll have to pay $15 per month for all three combined (or $25 per month for no ads on Hulu).
Including Live TV in the bundle bumps the price to $77 per month ($90 with no ads).
Hulu with Live TV
The free trial on this service is no longer offered, as well. It will now cost you $77 per month.
YouTubeTV
After up to a two-week trial, you can expect monthly charges of $73.
Sling TV
Dish Network’s Sling lower-tiered “Orange” plan will run you $40 per month. Adding the more comprehensive “Blue” plan bumps the cost to $55 per month. The seven-day free trial has disappeared, unfortunately.
DirecTV Stream
Formerly known as DirecTV Now, AT&T TVNow and AT&T TV, this oft-renamed streaming service will run you $75 per month and up after the free trial option.
Fubo TV
This sports-focused cord-cutting service carries broadcast networks in most markets. There’s a seven-day free trial, followed by monthly charges of $75 and up, depending on the channels you choose.
What new sports are debuting in the 2024 Paris Olympics?
The 2024 Summer Olympic Games will debut four new sports: breaking, sport climbing, skateboarding and surfing.
When do the swimming events take place in the 2024 Summer Olympics?
The Paris La Defense Arena is the primary area for swimming events, while the Olympics Aquatic Center will host diving, artistic swimming and water polo. The marathon swimming event and the swimming leg of the triathlon, however, are currently scheduled to be held in the Seine rover, which has caused some concern among athletes due to pollution levels in that body of water.
Swimming events will get underway on Saturday July 27, with the men’s and women’s 400m Freestyle and 4×100 freestyle relay. They’ll run through Aug. 4.
(See NBC’s Olympic schedule for a complete breakdown of events.)
When do gymnastics take place in the 2024 Olympics?
The men’s teams begin their events on Saturday July 27 with the women’s teams starting the following day. Those will run through Monday, Aug. 5 (with open water competitions on the 8th and 9th).
When do the track and field competitions take place in the Paris Olympics?
The start of track-and-field events mark the unofficial halfway point of the Games. This year, they’re scheduled to begin on Thursday, August 1 and run through Sunday, August 11, concluding with the women’s marathon.
Who is playing on Team USA basketball in the 2024 Summer Olympics?
It’s an all-star lineup this year, headed by Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. He’ll be joined by former Golden State Warriors teammates Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, along with Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns), James Harden (Los Angeles Clippers), Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics), Derrick White (Boston Celtics) and Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves).
For the women’s team, WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark did not make the team in 2024, but you will be able to catch New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu will be representing the U.S. alongside Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury), Kelsey Plum (Las Vegas Aces), Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty), Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury) and A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces).
Where are the next Olympics taking place?
The next Olympics will be the XXV Olympic Winter Games, hosted in Italy. Those will be held from Feb. 6-22, 2026.
Los Angeles will host the next Summer Olympics, which are set to kick off on July 14, 2028.
