The Olympics always proves to be the biggest sporting event of the year, and the 2024 Games in Paris is no exception. The world’s best athletes will gather in one location to distinguish the good from the great in a series of friendly matchups. And with so many contests over the two-week period pitting country versus country, it should come as no surprise that there are (literally) hundreds of ways to watch the Olympics online!
We should stress that unofficial Olympic streams are best avoided. These are at risk of being taken down at a key moment, and to make matters worse, their video quality is usually pretty poor. Besides, with plenty of legitimate ways to stream the Olympics online (some of them free), there’s no need to use shady sources.
The 2024 Olympics will be shown in dozens of countries, but because of regional restrictions, you’ll usually need a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to watch on the same services you’d use back home.
How to watch the Olympics online from abroad
VPNs are perhaps best known as privacy tools. However, because they change your IP address, they can also be used to bypass geographic restrictions and access country-exclusive services from anywhere. Below we explain how to watch the Olympics on your usual services while traveling abroad.
Here’s how to stream the 2024 Olympics online from anywhere:
- Start by signing up for a high-quality VPN. We recommend NordVPN but Surfshark and ExpressVPN are two excellent alternatives.
- Download and install the VPN app onto any device you want to stream. Note that most VPNs let you secure five or so devices at once.
- Log in and choose a server in your home country. Now, your usual services won’t be able to tell that you’re actually abroad.
- Try watching a video on your chosen streaming service. It should start immediately; if not, clear your cookies and try again. Alternatively, contact your VPN’s support team for one-on-one assistance.
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How to stream the 2024 Summer Olympics on US TV
NBC is the official Olympics broadcaster in the US. It spread over 7,000 hours of English-language coverage across six of its services: Peacock, USA Network, CNBC, NBCSN, and the Olympic Channel. Spanish coverage, meanwhile, will be on Telemundo and Universo.
You can either sign in with your cable provider details or a supported streaming service to watch these online. We’d recommend using either fuboTV or YouTube TV; these platforms carry all of the above channels, and include a free trial period (though they cost around $75 USD per month afterward).
It’s technically possible to watch on Hulu with Live TV, but you’ll have to pay extra per month to get access to Universo, and there’s no way to watch events on Telemundo.
As these are all US-only services, you’ll need a VPN to use them while traveling abroad. NordVPN includes a 30-day money-back guarantee, which means you can try it risk-free and simply claim a full refund if it fails to meet your expectations.
UK
Once again, you’ll find comprehensive coverage of the Olympic Games on BBC. There’ll also be a recap of the day’s biggest moments every evening just in case you’re of time. All of this will be accessible via BBC iPlayer, which is completely free to use. The only caveat is that you’ll need a TV License to watch anything on this platform, even if it’s on-demand.
BBC iPlayer only works in the UK. That said, if you connect to one of your VPN’s British servers, you should be able to access it anywhere.
Australia
Good news for sports fans in Australia: you’ll be able to stream every single event free of charge! Channel Nine will provide extensive coverage of the 2024 Olympics and all you have to do is create an account. 9Now offers both live broadcasts and on-demand replays too, so there’s no risk of missing anything!
9Now is geo-blocked but you can regain access while traveling abroad by using a VPN.
Where else can I watch the Paris 2024 Olympic Games online?
There’s huge international interest in this event, so naturally, it’ll be shown worldwide. Take a look at the table below for an at-a-glance guide to the official 2024 Olympic broadcasters in your country:
| Country | Network |
|---|---|
| Australia | Seven, watch free on 7plus |
| Austria | ORF, free to watch, no account needed |
| Brazil | Grupo Globo, watch for free on Globoplay and Bandsports |
| Canada | CBC, TSN , RDS, Sportsnet, partial free coverage on CBC Gem |
| France | Eurosport with 1,000 hours of free coverage on France.tv |
| Germany | Watch the Olympics for free on ZDF and ARD |
| India | Stream events for free on Doordarshan |
| Ireland | RTE |
| Mexico | Free on Televisa, TV Azteca, and Imagen Television |
| New Zealand | Sky Television, free on TVNZ |
| South Africa | SABC, SuperSport |
| Spain | Full, free Olympic coverage on RTVE |
| United Kingdom | Free Olympic live stream on BBC ,paid coverage on Eurosport |
| United States | NBC |
Don’t see what you’re looking for? Check out this master list of 2024 Olympics broadcasters on Wikipedia.
2024 Olympic schedule
The Paris Olympics begin on July 25 and run until August 11, with the opening ceremony taking place on July 26. The official schedule was packed to the brim with events, including some new ones like kayak cross and breaking. Of course, with many happening simultaneously, fans really have to think about which events they want to watch ahead of time so that they don’t accidentally miss something that interesting.
Olympics 2024 FAQs
Which sports are coming back at the Paris Olympics?
Surfing and skateboarding both debuted at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and they’ll be returning this time. We’ll also get to see sport climbing again, with new events including bouldering, combined lead, and a speed contest. Finally, fans can look forward to three-on-three basketball. All of this, in addition to over a dozen other major sports? Not bad considering the Olympics will be shown for free in many countries!
