SmartStream

It’s time for another Olympics. Every two years, there are improvements to the coverage and how the games are streamed. Stream live, watch replays, and more on NBC networks, apps and Peacock. NBCU is making it easier to find sports and events, including searching for your favorite athletes. Multiview and whip-around coverage will enhance the viewing experience.

Over 10,500 athletes from 206 countries will participate in the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. While the Olympics officially open on July 26th, various rugby, soccer, and other matches will take place before then. 

The 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony starts on July 26th at 10:30 p.m. PT or 1:30 a.m. ET (July 27), with a 90-minute preview on NBCU starting at Noon ET.  It will be shown live on Peacock and NBC broadcast stations with a replay on NBC stations during local prime time at 7:30 pm.  The Closing Ceremony will be live on NBC and Peacock on Sunday, August 11th, at 2 p.m. ET, with a replay at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

With so many events happening almost around the clock during the games, figuring out when your favorite sport will be live and where you can watch it can be dizzying.  The displays a graphic schedule of many sports, including matches, games, trials, and medal ceremonies, all at a glance.  Once you know when to watch it, you can discover on which channels to watch it. 

Every day from 4 am ET to 6 pm ET, all events will be broadcast or streamed live in the US on a cable network, NBC apps, or Peacock.

If you haven’t cut the cord yet, you can watch using cable, or however you watch TV.  Olympic programming will be shown on NBC, NBC Sports, E!, USA, Telemundo, and Universo. It’s limited to watching what is scheduled on each channel. USA will show team sports and programs with longer run times, like swimming heats, track and field, soccer, basketball, 3x3 basketball, beach volleyball, rugby, cycling, volleyball, and water polo.

CNBC will show boxing, cycling, rugby, and skateboarding. And E! Has track and field, gymnastics, canoeing, diving, equestrian, artistic swimming, breaking, fencing, and water polo.  

If you don’t want to be limited to network schedules,  you can use your TV Provider login credentials to sign in to the NBC or NBC Sports streaming apps.

Online live TV, like YouTube TV and Hulu Live TV, carry linear live coverage. Login credentials for online live TV also work for the NBC and NBC Sports streaming apps.  Switch to the Olympics tab to find Olympic highlights, what is live and upcoming, see Team USA events and replays, and learn about sports with Olympics 101. The Olympic 101 short videos explain the basics of a sport, which athletes have excelled, what it takes to be a great athlete in that sport, and historical stats.

Peacock offers the most complete and customizable Olympics viewing experience. You’ll need a Premium subscription to the Peacock app ($8 per month or $12 without commercials). Once you’ve signed up, you can cancel and won’t be charged again, yet you can continue to watch for the full 30 days. 

Individual events can be added to “My Stuff” so you don’t find yourself searching when an event is about to stream live. With 40 events happening simultaneously, choosing which one to watch can become overwhelming. Peacock has a solution. 

The app offers multiview options for those watching soccer, wrestling, or track and field. This traditional multiview experience displays a choice of up to four screens of live events to watch four different matches. You can move the screens around and change which audio feed you want to hear. Available games will be labeled “multiview.” 

Peacock Discovery Multiview takes it a step further with real-time on-screen voiceovers by NBCU’s Olympic experts, where they will discuss what’s at stake, like elimination risks, pointing out first-time Olympians and such. 

To make sure you don’t miss important moments in events, Peacock will provide “Live Actions.”  By choosing a Keep Watching button, you can continue viewing or switch to whip-around coverage. 

The feature is explained in a Peacock blog: “Gold Zone, the recently announced live whip-around show that will provide rolling coverage from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, guiding viewers to the best and most exciting moments happening during the Paris Olympic Games. Through Peacock Live Actions on-screen prompts, fans watching Gold Zone will now be able to choose to continue watching the live feed of a specific event instead of staying with the Gold Zone coverage.”

The Gold Zone is similar to NFL Red Zone. The Red Zone is a whip-around format that shows action live, featuring eight games in an octobox. When a team is in the red zone about to score, coverage switches it to full screen to capture the team scoring.  Likewise, the Gold Zone will show special Olympic moments, so you won’t miss a moment.

More features of Peacock’s Gold Zone Olympic coverage include:

The biggest events prominently displayed at the top of the screen

Browse by sport, where users can find every event in that sport.

“Search by Star Athlete” or by event, team, or country.

“Catch Up with Key Plays” to view key mementos when joining a game in progress.

One thing is certain about the Paris 2024 Olympics.  You’ll be able to watch it your way and don’t have to worry about missing out on exciting moments in your favorite sports.