How to watch the Paris 2024 Olympics: channels, streaming and opening ceremony

Three years ago, the Olympics looked very different. The Tokyo Games were postponed for a year due to COVID, and many events were held in empty stadiums. The entire event was scaled back from its usual size.

The Paris Games, however, will mark a return to form. The French capital will host a spectacular opening ceremony along the Seine and introduce breakdancing to the sports programme.

If you want to follow all the action from the XXXIII Olympiad, we have everything you need to know, including the date and start time of the Opening Ceremony, the channels and streaming services the games will be broadcast on, the general schedule of events and much more.

When will the Paris 2024 Olympic Games take place?

There is not much time left to wait, as the Paris Olympics begin on Friday July 26, 2024 with the opening ceremony.

The closing ceremony will take place on Sunday, August 11, 2024. A few weeks later, the Paralympic Games will begin.

Paris 2024 / Damien Le Gallo / Viparis

Paris 2024 / Damien Le Gallo / Viparis

Paris 2024 / Damien Le Gallo / Viparis

When does the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games start?

Here’s what time the opening ceremony of this year’s Olympic Games will take place around the world on Friday, July 26, 2024:

• UNITED KINGDOM – 6:30 p.m. BST
• East Coast of the United States – 1:30pm ET
• West Coast of the United States – 10:30 a.m. (Pacific Time)
• France – 7:30pm CET

Organizers called the opening ceremony “the largest ever,” taking advantage of the city’s natural sunset as the show progresses.

A 6 km crossing along the Seine will be offered, with artistic performances near the emblematic monuments that make Paris famous, including the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame and the Louvre.

The athletes will parade on the water in boats, a change from the usual parade in the stadium. If previous games are anything to go by, we may be treated to appearances by French artists, bands and troupes, and perhaps a few famous faces making an appearance or two.

It will all culminate in the lighting of the Olympic torch, a long-standing sign of the official start of the Games.

How to watch the Olympics in the UK

There are several ways to watch the Olympics in the UK. The most popular events will be available on the BBC. However, if you want completely unfiltered access, you’ll need to access Eurosport.

Here’s more information on how to watch them on traditional TV and streaming.

TV broadcast

For standard access, coverage will be split between BBC One and BBC Two in the UK, with over 250 hours of live coverage. Clare Balding and Gabby Logan will be joined by a host of other sports personalities for commentary.

You can watch both of these channels if you have a TV licence, with access via Freeview, Virgin, Sky and EE TV/BT.

If you prefer to watch all the available sports (including the lesser-known ones), your best option is Eurosport. Coverage will be split between Eurosport 1 and Eurosport 2, from 7am until 10:30pm every day of the competition. These channels are available as premium add-ons for Sky, Virgin Media and EE TV/BT.

Both the BBC and Eurosport will be showing highlights of the Games, in case you missed anything.

Online

If you prefer to stream your content, both the BBC and Eurosport have options available.

The BBC iPlayer not only offers live coverage of BBC One and BBC Two, but also a dedicated live stream called Olympics Extra with additional events. Access to this website is free, provided you have a TV licence.

In the meantime, Eurosport content can be viewed via a Discovery+ Standard subscription. From 17 July until the end of the Olympics, this will cost just £3.99 per month, and the platform will stick to this rate until December 2024. After that, the price will increase to the standard amount of £6.99 per month.

A Discovery+ subscription gives you access to Eurosport 1 and 2, seven pop-up Olympic channels, in-app gold medal alerts and curated playlists for different sports.

Olympics on Discovery+

Olympics on Discovery+

Olympics on Discovery+

How to Watch the Olympics in the USA

In the United States, the Olympics broadcast rights go to NBC, rather than multiple holders. Here are all the ways to follow them.

TV broadcast

You’ll be able to catch the Opening Ceremony and Team USA sporting events on NBC, which will air more than nine hours of action each day, along with profiles and highlights. Select events will also air on USA Network, E!, CNBC and the Golf Channel.

These channels will be available if you have a cable TV package that includes them. If not, there is another solution.

Online

If you don’t have access to NBC TV channels, your best bet is to subscribe to Peacock. There, you’ll find a dedicated Olympics hub with playlists not only for individual events, but also for specific athletes like Simone Biles.

Celebrities will also host some segments, including popular rapper Snoop Dogg and Call Her Daddy podcast host Alex Cooper. The app will include multiple views for different sports and AI-generated recaps of the day’s events.