Introduction
The Tokyo Olympics are set to start in just a week, on July 23rd! After a year-long delay, sports fans worldwide are excited to finally watch the Tokyo Olympics and all it has to offer. And nothing is stopping Tokyo from hosting this event, not even a state of emergency—however, spectators will be banned from the event.
So what’s going on at the Tokyo Olympics? What’s separating it from previous Olympic events, and most importantly, how can fans watch the event?
What’s New at the Tokyo Olympics?
Let’s begin by discussing what’s new. Baseball and softball will be returning to the Olympics roster this year after being scrapped in 2008. However, they are not planning to return in the 2024 Olympics.
With the Tokyo Olympics comes four new sports: surfing, karate, sport climbing, and skateboarding. Karate will not be returning for the 2024 Paris Olympics, but both surfing and skateboarding are slated to return.
The Tokyo Olympics will be exciting to watch. But watching the event is easier said than done. After all, it’s not clear what services will be streaming the event or what countries will have access to said services. So, let’s take a look at a couple of ways fans can watch the Olympics.
How Fans Can Stream the Olympics
On-Demand Streaming Services
Regular streaming services won’t cut it when it comes to major sporting events; fans will want to subscribe to an on-demand streaming service for guaranteed access to the event.
Services such as Sling TV and YouTube TV offer channels in one package, a practice similar to standard cable packages. However, users can add individual channels for an extra fee per month.
These plans can be expensive, but they often come bundled with multiple sports-centric channels that allow fans to view the Tokyo Olympics. However, depending on where a person lives, they could watch the games for free.
BBC (For U.K. Users)
The BBC owns the Tokyo Olympics’ streaming rights, meaning they will broadcast the entire event for free for all United Kingdom fans. This is good news for people in the U.K., but what about fans outside the U.K.?
Fortunately, fans can subscribe to a VPN for the duration of the Olympics and use that to access the BBC’s broadcast of the games. It’s not free, but it’s by far the cheapest option.
NBCUniversal’s Peacock
Like the BBC, NBCUniversal holds the broadcasting rights for the Tokyo Olympics in the United States. But instead of a free broadcast across the country, NBCUniversal is limiting Tokyo Olympics viewing to their channel and their streaming service, Peacock.
Peacock costs a monthly subscription just like any other streaming service, but it’s not too expensive, especially since fans will only need to stay subscribed for two weeks.
Conclusion
The Olympics are coming back stronger than ever with the Tokyo Olympics, and you don’t want to miss it! Fortunately, there are a few ways you can watch the tournament, from free broadcasts to an on-demand streaming service.
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