How to Watch the 2024 Olympic Games Online Without Cable: Free & Paid Olympics Live Stream

Your best bet for watching the Olympics online is via a free streaming service, such as: 

• BBC iPlayer, in the U.K.
• 9Now in Australia 
• CBC Gem in Canada

All of these services have an Olympics live stream as well as individual events and highlights. If you’re not in any of those countries, you can use a VPN to get access. This will change your IP address and fool the service into thinking you’re in the correct country. We’ll show you how to do this further down.

Watch Olympics Online: Free Streaming in the U.S.

Of course, in the U.S., you can watch part of the Olympics on free-to-air channels NBC and Telemundo (Spanish): you can watch the opening and closing ceremonies, certain medal ceremonies and highlights from events for free on the NBC Olympics website.

If you want full access to those channels online, you’ll need a paid U.S. streaming service, such as fuboTV or YouTube TV — both have a free trial available. 

Other paid U.S. channels, such as USA Network, CNBC, E!, the Golf Channel and another Spanish channel, Universo, will broadcast events.

With NBC being the official broadcaster in the U.S. for the 2024 Olympics, it’s no surprise that its own streaming service, Peacock, will show every single bit of the competition. That includes every sport, every medal being awarded — literally everything. Unfortunately, Peacock doesn’t offer a free trial. The service costs from $7.99 per month (or from $79.99 per year).

Are the Olympics Free to Watch?

Yes, there are several platforms where you can watch the Olympics for free, including BBC iPlayer, 9Now and CBC Gem. However, in the U.S., you need a VPN to stream the Olympics for free online. The only part of the Olympics streaming for free in the U.S. is the opening and closing ceremonies on the NBC website.

Olympic Streams: Where to Watch the Olympics for Free Online

In this section, we’ve provided a table to show you all of the services that will show the Olympics online, both free and paid.

Service:	Country	Cost	Notes
BBC iPlayer	U.K.	Free	Create a free account
9Now	Australia	Free	Create a free account
CBC Gem	Canada	Free	Create a free account
NBC website	USA	Free	Will show only the opening & closing ceremony, highlights & medals
Peacock	USA	From $7.99 per month	No free trial. Shows all of the Olympics
YouTube TV	USA	From $72.99 per month	Free trial (duration varies). Includes all U.S. channels covering the Olympics, including NBC & Telemundo
FuboTV	USA	From $72.99 per month	7-day free trial. Includes all U.S. channels covering the Olympics, including NBC & Telemundo
Hulu + Live TV	USA	From $76.99 per month.	No free trial. Includes all U.S. channels covering the Olympics, including NBC & Telemundo.

How to Watch the Summer Olympics Free Online Outside the U.S.

Here’s a step-by-step guide showing you how to stream the 2024 Olympics completely free. We’ve used BBC iPlayer in the U.K. for this example, but you can use similar steps to watch for free on 9Now in Australia or CBC Gem in Canada — just switch to the relevant server location. 

1. Subscribe to a VPN Service

   Go to a VPN’s website and sign up for a plan. We suggest using ExpressVPN. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, which means you can get a refund at the end.

   

2. Install the VPN

   Download and install the VPN app onto your computer or other devices you want to watch the Olympics on. Open the app and log in to your account.

   

3. Connect to a Server in the U.K.

   Find and connect to a server in the U.K. (or Australia or Canada if you want to use a different free service). ExpressVPN’s server list will open when you click on the country section. You can then use the search bar or browse through the servers to find the one you need. Click on the server to connect.

   

4. Create a Free BBC iPlayer Account

   Go to the BBC iPlayer site and create a free account. You’ll need to provide a valid email for verification, a U.K. postcode (you can find a random one on Google) and click “yes” to having a TV License (you don’t need to prove this, it’s on an honor basis).

   

5. Start Streaming the Olympics for Free

   Next, search for the Olympics and start streaming it on BBC iPlayer.

   

Best Olympic VPN: The 3 Top VPNs to Stream 2024 Olympics Coverage

To ensure you pick the best Olympics VPN, you need to make sure it includes certain features. Most importantly, it should have a great track record for unblocking streaming services. After that, the VPN should have fast speeds so you don’t suffer from buffering or poor resolution, and servers in the country you need them, such as the U.K. Here are our top picks.

1. ExpressVPN — Best VPN for sports streaming. It has excellent speeds, servers in more than 100 countries and can easily unblock any platform. Read more in our ExpressVPN review. 
2. NordVPN — Has the fastest VPN speeds and can unblock streaming services with ease. It also has a huge server network with an interactive map, though it’s a bit clunky on mobile. Learn more in our NordVPN review.
3. PrivadoVPN — A reputable VPN with a free plan that includes servers in the U.K., USA and Canada. It does have a 10GB monthly data limit, though. Read more in our PrivadoVPN review.

Schedule: Paris Olympics 2024 Dates

With more than 10,000 athletes from 209 nations taking part in various sports, you can imagine just how big the Olympic schedule looks. Here, we’ve provided a more simplified version of the official schedule. 

Date:	Event	Location
July 26	Opening ceremony	River Seine & Trocadero Gardens
July 25 – Aug. 4	Archery	Invalides
July 25 – Aug. 4	Artistic gymnastics	Bercy Arena
Aug. 5 – Aug. 10	Artistic swimming	Bercy Arena
Aug. 1 – Aug. 11	Athletics	Track & field – Stade de France Race walks – Trocadero Marathons – Invalides
July 27 – Aug. 5	Badminton	La Chapelle Arena
July 30 – Aug. 5	3×3 basketball	La Concorde
July 27 – Aug. 11	Basketball	Group phase – Pierre Mauroy Stadium Finals – Bercy Arena
July 27 – Aug. 10	Beach volleyball	Eiffel Tower Stadium
July 27 – Aug. 10	Boxing	North Paris Arena / Roland-Garros Stadium
Aug. 9 – Aug. 10	Breaking	La Concorde
July 27 – Aug. 5	Canoe slalom	White water – Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium
Aug. 6 – Aug. 10	Canoe sprint	Flat water – Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium
July 30 – Aug. 2	Cycling BMX	Freestyle – Concorde Racing – BMX Stadium
July 28-July 29	Cycling mountain bike	Elancourt Hill
July 27 – Aug. 4	Cycling road	Time trials – Pont Alexandre III Road races – Trocadero
Aug. 5 – Aug. 11	Cycling track	National Velodrome
July 27 – Aug. 10	Diving	Aquatics Centre
July 27 – Aug. 6	Equestrian	Chateau de Versailles
July 27 – Aug. 4	Fencing	Grand Palais
July 24 – Aug. 10	Football	Bordeaux Stadium Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium La Beaujoire Stadium Lyon Stadium Marseille Stadium Nice Stadium Parc de Princes (finals)
Aug. 1 – Aug. 10	Golf	Le Golf National
July 25 – Aug. 11	Handball	Group stage – South Paris Arena Knockout phase – Pierre Mauroy Stadium
July 27 – Aug. 9	Hockey	Yves-du-Manoir Stadium
July 27 – Aug. 3	Judo	Champ-de-Mars Arena
Aug. 8 – Aug. 9	Marathon swimming	Pont Alexandre III
Aug. 8 – Aug. 11	🤻 Modern pentathlon	Ranking round – North Paris Arena  Chateau de Versailles
Aug. 8 – Aug. 10	Rhythmic gymnastics	La Chapelle Arena
July 27 – Aug. 3	Rowing	Flat water – Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium
July 24 – July 30	Rugby sevens	Stade de France
July 28 – Aug. 8	Sailing	Marseille Marina
July 27 – Aug. 5	╾━╤デ╦︻ Shooting	Chateauroux Shooting Centre
July 27 – Aug. 7	Skateboarding	La Concorde
Aug. 5 – Aug. 10	Sport climbing	Le Bourget Climbing Venue
July 27 – Aug. 4	Surfing	Teahupo’o, Tahiti
July 27 – Aug. 4	Swimming	Paris La Defense Arena
July 27 – Aug. 10	Table tennis	South Paris Arena
Aug. 7 – Aug. 10	Taekwondo	Grand Palais
July 27 – Aug. 4	Tennis	Roland Garros
Aug. 2	Trampoline gymnastics	Bercy Arena
July 30 – Aug. 5	Triathlon	Pont Alexandre III
July 27 – Aug. 11	Volleyball	South Paris Arena
July 27 – Aug. 11	Water polo	Aquatics center, Paris La Defense Arena
Aug. 7 – Aug. 11	Weightlifting	South Paris Arena
Aug. 5 – Aug. 11	Wrestling	Champ-de-Mars Arena
Aug. 11	Closing ceremony	Stade de France

Summer Olympics 2024 Event Schedule

If you have a specific sport you want to follow through the Olympics, take a look at the event schedule for each category below.

When Is the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony?

The Paris Olympics opening ceremony took place on July 26. It’s been 100 years since the Olympics were hosted by France, and this opening ceremony was unique because it was the first that wasn’t held in a stadium. Instead, it took place on the River Seine, allowing around 300,000 spectators to enjoy it. 

The parade of athletes was still part of the tradition, with each nation having its own boat. A burst of blue, white and red smoke over the Austerlitz Bridge marked the start of the parade of nations, traveling six kilometers through the center of Paris on the Seine and ending at the Trocadero Gardens where the rest of the Olympic protocol commenced. 

Although it rained for most of the four-hour-long ceremony, everyone was in high spirits and the show went as planned. There was fashion, performing arts and music, showcasing France’s culture and diversity.

Many Paris landmarks featured in the show, including the Louvre and the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral. The Eiffel Tower was at the center point too, with its very own light show as the torch made its way to the Olympic Cauldron.

Other highlights included performances from Lady Gaga, French pianist Alexandre Kantorow and Axell Saint-Cirel, as she sang the French national anthem from the roof of the Grand Palais. Celine Dion closed the ceremony at the base of the Eiffel Tower with a performance of ‘L’Hymne a l’amour.’

How to Watch the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony Recording

If you missed the action live, there are a few ways you can tune in to the replay on-demand and for free, including:

• BBC iPlayer (UK) — Full ceremony
• CBC Gem (Canada) — Full ceremony
• 9Now (Australia) — Full ceremony in four parts, plus highlight videos
• NBC website (US) — highlight videos

Remember, if you’re not in the correct region for the service, use a VPN to get access.

Final Thoughts

As the excitement builds, you now know how to catch all the action for the 2024 Olympics, and for free. As usual, various sports events will be included, such as swimming, handball and basketball — we have a separate guide if you want to know how to watch NBA games too.

All you need is a VPN, and ExpressVPN has repeatedly won gold for streaming sports. It’s compatible with lots of devices and if you have friends who want to watch too, it supports eight simultaneous connections. You can try ExpressVPN risk-free using the 30-day money-back guarantee — that’s long enough to watch every sport in the 16-day event. 

Where will you watch the games? Will you watch the Olympics live or via highlight videos? Will you need to use a VPN? If so, which one will you choose? Let us know in the comment section and, as always, thank you for reading.

FAQ: Olympics 2024 Live Stream

• When’s the Next Olympics?

  The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics starts on July 26 and ends on Aug. 11. After that, the next Olympics event will be in 2028 and it will be held in Los Angeles, USA. That said, in a bid to keep costs down, two of the events — softball and canoe slalom — will be held more than 1,000 miles away in Oklahoma City.

• Where Can I Watch the Olympics 2024 for Free?

  You can stream the 2024 Olympics for free on BBC iPlayer in the U.K., 9Now in Australia and CBC Gem in Canada. You can only access those services from within the country, but if you’re not located there, you can use a VPN to spoof your way in.

• Can You Watch the Olympics 2024 Without Cable?

  Yes, you can watch it for free online with services like BBC iPlayer (U.K.), CBC Gem (Canada) and 9Now (Australia). You can use a VPN to get access if you’re not in the country. Alternatively, you can use a live TV streaming service in the U.S. to stream NBC Olympics coverage.

• How Can I Watch All the Olympics?

  In the U.S., Peacock will show coverage for every moment of the Olympic events, live and on-demand, from the beginning in late July, right up until the end in August.

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