The 2024 Summer Olympics will officially kick off on July 26. This year, the world’s greatest athletes will come together in Paris (while surfers head to Tahiti) for 32 different sports and 329 medal events. Swimming, gymnastics, volleyball, and basketball are all on the schedule, along with newer sports like breaking, sport climbing, and skateboarding.
NBC is once again handling broadcasting duties of the games, which means a Peacock membership will be essential to watching most of the Olympic sports, especially if you want to watch competition replays or on-demand. Olympic coverage will also be broadcast on NBC, USA Network, CNBS, E! and Olympic golf will be covered on the Golf Channel. The headline sports like swimming and gymnastics will kick off the games on July 27, while skateboarding, volleyball, weightlifting, and more will wrap up at the tail end of the games on August 6.
This guide is for everyone looking for the most efficient way to watch the 2024 Summer Olympic Games without cable. You will need an NBC subscription of some sort to be able to watch the games live or stream them online. Here are the best ways to do that.
2024 Summer Olympics schedule
The 2024 Summer Olympics will kick off with the opening ceremony on July 26. Competitions will begin on July 27, with the final medal ceremonies occurring on August 6. The full schedule for every sport is available on NBCOlympics.com, but this guide will help you figure out what channels you need to watch all of the games on TV and online.
Basketball, swimming, volleyball, and soccer will all be played essentially for the entire two-week games, with preliminary competition kicking off on July 27. Gymnastics, judo, and surfing (weather permitting) will all wrap up in the first week, while track and field events begin on August 1 and run through the end of the games. The new Olympic sport, Breaking, will have its medal ceremonies on the final two days of the games, August 5 and 6.
All events, including qualifying for medal competitions, will be available to watch on Peacock and NBCOlympics.com, with the latter requiring cable authentication. See the guide below for how to watch the 2024 Summer Olympic Games on linear cable with a subscription service.
Where to watch the 2024 Summer Olympics
NBC will carry the bulk of Olympics cable coverage, with daily daytime coverage of the game and nightly recaps of big medal events. Additional coverage of the games and competitions can be found on CNBC, E!, Golf Channel, and USA Network.
| DIRECTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu + Live TV | Sling TV | YouTube TV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NBC | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔* | ✔ |
| CNBC | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| E! | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| GOLF Channel | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| USA | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Watch on Peacock
- Suggested Plan: Premium
- Price: $7.99
- Free Trial: No
- Channels Included: 50+
Peacock will be the primary streaming home of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games and will have coverage of every single sport and event. Since the Olympics will be live coverage, you can get everything you need for the Premium Plan. If you are just looking for Olympics coverage, this plan is the best. If you are interested in carrying on your Peacock membership for the rest of the year, you should consider signing up for the annual plan, which saves you two months of cost. Upgrading to the Premium Plus plan gives you limited ads, the ability to download select titles, and access to your local NBC channel.
Outside of extensive Olympics coverage, Peacock also has the most Premiere League soccer games during the year, access to current NBC, Bravo, and Peacock originals, and thousands of hours of legacy television, including “Law & Order” and “Saturday Night Live.” Peacock includes 50+ always-on channels and streams movies like “Jaws,” “Men in Black,” and the Harry Potter film collection.
Watch on DIRECTV STREAM
- Suggested Plan: Choice
- Price: $114.99
- Free Trial: Yes
- Channels Included: 125+
If you are looking for a streaming cable option, then DIRECTV STREAM is a top choice. You will need the Choice package to have every channel with Olympics coverage, but if you can do without the golf competition, you can get all of the other NBC channels on the Entertainment package for less. DIRECTV STREAM is great for sports fans outside of the Olympics as well because it has the greatest access to regional sports channels (for Choice package and above), so you can watch your favorite local sports teams year-round.
Each DIRECTV STREAM package also comes with unlimited Cloud DVR storage and the first three months of Max, Paramount Plus with SHOWTIME, STARZ, MGM Plus, and Cinemax free. Each package also includes family entertainment channels like Nickelodeon and Disney, and of course, ESPN for all-around sports coverage.
Watch on Fubo
- Suggested Plan: Pro
- Price: $79.99
- Free Trial: Yes
- Channels Included: 180+
Fubo does not have the same access to regional sports networks as DIRECTV STREAM, but it is a more affordable option to watch the Summer Games. The Pro plan will get you NBC, CNBC, E!, Golf Channel, and USA Network to watch cable coverage of the rest of the events. That price includes 180+ channels, unlimited hours of Cloud DVR, and streaming on up to 10 screens at home.
The Pro plan includes the NBC channels showing the Olympics and a plethora of sports channels for your athletic viewing throughout the year. The plan also includes Bally Sports, FS1, NFL Network, CBS Sports Network, and more so you can keep the game going all year round. Entertainment channels like Hallmark, FX, Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, MTV, and more are also part of the Pro package for the entire family to enjoy.
Watch on Hulu + Live TV
- Suggested Plan: Hulu + Live TV Bundle
- Price: $82.99
- Free Trial: Yes
- Channels Included: 95+
If you want to watch the Olympics and are looking for long-term entertainment options, then the Hulu + Live TV Bundle might be the choice for you. You’ll get Live TV with access to over 90 live and on-demand channels and the Hulu, Disney Plus, and ESPN Plus streaming services, all with ads. ESPN, FS1, SEC Network, and ACCN all come with Live TV along with the NBC channels you need to watch the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. Your entertainment options include BET, Bravo, Comedy Central, Hallmark Channel, and MTV, with family-friendly channels like Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, and Nickelodeon.
For sports fans, ESPN Plus gives you access to exclusive ESPN content, games, and analysis, as well as ESPN originals like “The Last Dance.” Each Hulu + Live TV Bundle comes with unlimited DVR storage, a live guide to make finding channels easier, and the ability to create up to six profiles for everyone in your household. You can also stream on up to two screens simultaneously. If you need more than two screens, you can add the Unlimited Screens add-on, which will allow you to watch on several screens connected to your home network and up to three separate mobile devices.
Watch on Sling TV
- Suggested Plan: Sling Blue
- Price: $40
- Free Trial: No
- Channels Included: 40+
The most affordable option for watching the 2024 Summer Olympic Games is Sling TV. You can get NBC, E!, and USA Network with the Sling Blue plan. Sling is missing CNBC, so you will be missing some coverage of sports like surfing and others – but that can be made up if you get a Peacock subscription, which would still cost you less than a lot of other plans. The Golf Channel is available with the Sports Extra add-on, which is an additional cost per month. If you are looking for a service to watch sports year-round, then we recommend upgrading to the Sling Orange & Blue plan so you get the ESPN suite and MotorTrend along with all of the Sling Blue channels.
Sling does not offer free trials, but they offer regular discounts. Each Sling TV plan comes with 50 hours of free DVR storage, which you can upgrade to 200 hours with an extra monthly cost. You can watch on up to three devices at a time with Sling Blue and get an additional device when you sign up for Sling Orange & Blue. If you want more sports, you can get the Sports Extra add-on gives you NFL RedZone, NBA TV, NHL Network, ESPNEWS, and more to keep up with your favorite sports.
Watch on YouTube TV
- Suggested Plan: Base
- Price: $82.99
- Free Trial: Yes
- Channels Included: 100+
YouTube TV also gives you every channel that you need to watch Olympics coverage on cable, including CNBC and Golf Channel. For year-round sports, YouTube TV also has a partnership with NFL Sunday Ticket for American football fans.
The YouTube TV Base plan comes with over 100 channels, including ESPN, NBA TV, and NFL Network. It also has the Key Plays feature, which allows you to replay key moments in certain games. Your monthly cost also gives you unlimited DVR space, up to six profile accounts, and the ability to stream on up to three devices simultaneously.
FAQ
Can you watch the Olympics for free?
Highlights of certain Olympic events will be available to watch for free on the official Olympics YouTube channel. However, to watch all 329 events and qualifying rounds, you’ll need to authenticate a cable or Peacock subscription.
Will Hulu have the Olympics in 2024?
Hulu + Live TV will have the Olympics via NBC, but the streaming service will not have coverage of the games or replays available.
How do you stream Summer Olympics 2024?
You can stream the Summer Olympics 2024 with any of the cable streaming services listed above, Peacock or NBCOlympics.com.
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