GUIDE: How to watch the Summer Olympics 2024 on TV, Streaming and more
The Olympics stands as the pinnacle of international athleticism, welcoming in athletes from all around the world as they compete for an elusive gold medal. From track and field to swimming and gymnastics, the Olympics showcases the peak of human performance and sportsmanship. This guide is designed for sports enthusiasts who are eager to experience the thrill of the games this summer, making sure you know exactly how to tune into every highly anticipated contest. Here are your best television options for the Summer Olympics 2024.
Summer Olympics 2024 in Paris
The upcoming Summer Olympics are taking place under the watchful eye of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, one of Europe’s most iconic capital cities. Paris last hosted the great games in 1924, making this the ultimate centennial celebration for the city. Athletes will showcase their talents across a blend of historic and modern venues, including the Stade de France for athletics and the Grand Palais for fencing and taekwondo. It promises to be a wonderful blend of old and new, celebrating a coming together of sporting history and modern athleticism.
The 2024 Olympics are notable not just for the location, but also because of the introduction of several new sports. Breakdancing will be making its debut appearance, with climbing, surfing and skateboarding all returning to the lineup. As for the schedule, the Games will officially kick off with the opening ceremony on July 26th and will conclude with the closing ceremony on August 11th. Every day between will be jam-packed with action.
From the United States, key gold medal contenders include gymnast Simone Biles, who aims to add to her impressive tally of Olympic medals, and swimmer Caeleb Dressel, who is expected to dominate in the pool. Also expected to walk away with gold medals are the USA Basketball teams, who stand well clear as favorites according to the betting markets.
Overview of Viewing Options
The Summer Olympics 2024 can be found on the following channels:
- NBC
- Peacock
- CNBC, E!, Golf Channel, and Universo
Detailed Comparison of Services
When considering how to watch the Summer Olympics 2024, you will be pleased to hear there are several options to choose from. These include your traditional cable and satellite options, but also the more modern streaming services as well. Each option offers a range of benefits, but the most important factor to look for is whether the platform features NBC, which is the primary broadcaster. NBC will be airing over 9 hours a day of coverage, including the gymnastics finals, swimming and track and field events.
Cable and Satellite Options
Thankfully for fans wanting to tune into the Olympics, pretty much all the major providers will include NBC in their packages. This means that it is simply a case of choosing which package works best for you. Major providers like DirecTV, DISH, Comcast Infinity and Verizon all feature NBC, alongside a vast array of other channels, starting at about $60 per month.
- Cox: $61.00–$152.00 per month
- DirecTV: $69.99–$159.99 per month
- Dish: $84.99-$114.99 per month
- Verizon Fios: $69.00–$129.00 per month
Streaming Services
As is often the case these days, TV streaming is the best way to go for the Olympics. Peacock is showing every single one of the 329 medal events this year, which is a first for a streaming service. Starting at just $7.99 a month, this is a fantastic offer for any sports fan wanting to enjoy the Olympics this summer. On top of watching all the events, fans will get multiview capabilities, access to the Gold Zone show and all the highlights you need. It’s a slam-dunk of an offer.
USA Network, CNBC, E!, Golf Channel and Universo will also be sharing Olympic coverage. These are all available through various streaming packages which come in at a much larger price tag but offer you far more variety. The likes of fuboTV, YouTube TV and Hulu will all set you back over $70 a month, but you will massively expand your television viewing experience, in addition to securing the NBC channel that you need for daily Olympics action:
- fuboTV: $79.99 per month
- YouTube TV: $72.99 per month
- Hulu with Live TV: $76.99 per month
- SlingTV: $55 per month
Editor’s Choice
When it comes to the editor's choice for the Summer Olympics 2024, there is one option that stands well clear of the rest: Peacock. Not only does it cost a fraction of the other streaming packages, but it also gives you unrivaled access to all the action. For just $7.99, you will get access to all the live events, replays and highlights, along with the added bonus of multiview features and the Olympics whip-around 'Gold Zone' show. If you want elite Olympics access, look no further than Peacock.
If you are looking to go all-out to expand your television viewing experience, then subscribing to one of the other streaming platforms is a good option. Fubo features all the channels you need and comes with up to 1,000 hours of DVR storage, but the likes of DirecTV and Hulu also have their benefits. With them all coming in at a similar price, your best bet will be to dig into each package and their various add-ons to find the one that is most suited to you.
How to Watch the Summer Olympics for Free
For people looking to tune into the 2024 Summer Olympics for free, there are a couple of options to consider. The fact that the whole event takes place over just over two weeks makes life a bit easier. Many of the streaming platforms listed above (not Peacock, unfortunately), will offer a 7-day free trial. Doing just two of these back-to-back will cover the majority of the Olympics. Beware though, if you forget to cancel your free trial, you will be hit with a hefty bill.
Your other option is to purchase an over-the-air antenna, which can be used to tune into the festivities for free, so long as you are in the range of an NBC station. Enjoy!
Author: Venuse, Inc