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In an anticipated return to normalcy, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will now occur in 2021 after being postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The two-week event will still take place in its host city Tokyo, Japan and will run from July 21 to Aug. 8.
This year’s events will have an endless supply of moments you won’t want to miss, and thanks to live streaming, you don’t have to. As always, NBC will offer primetime coverage of the Olympics, which can be easily accessed on every major streaming service.
Eyes will be on the U.S. women’s national soccer team (and their star player Megan Rapinoe) who are looking to rebound from their disappointing fifth place finish at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. After the team’s success at the FIFA Women’s World Cup this year, viewers can expect a good game. Plus, LeBron James and Steph Curry will be representing the U.S in men’s basketball, and WNBA player A’jja Wilson is set to compete for the women’s team. Tennis star Naomi Osaka, who made headlines this week after pulling out of the French Open, will represent the host country.
As expected, the games will look a bit different this year thanks to the coronavirus. While veteran sportscaster Mike Tirico will still anchor NBC’s primetime coverage, he’ll be doing so from an outdoor perch on the fifth floor deck.
In addition to NBC’s live broadcast, viewers can watch additional commentary and analysis on NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports App. If you don’t have cable you can easily stream the games through NBCUniversal’s streaming service Peacock or through a variety of streamers that offer NBC, including Sling TV, FuboTV, Youtube TV and more. Here are the best ways to access NBC to watch the Olympic Games this summer.
Sling TV is normally $35 a month but offers its wide range of cable networks for only $10 for the first month (plus a free DVR) if you wanted to sneak in a subscription in time for the Olympics. It offers more than 30 popular cable channels and 80,000 movies and TV shows on-demand. Their Sling Blue package, which offers access to ESPN, NBC, the NFL Network and more, is the best option for sports lovers.
FuboTV is a pricier option but you get what you pay for. Its Starter subscription service offers 120 channels, including NBC, a Cloud DVR so you never have to miss anything and a Family Share option that allows you to watch content on three different screens throughout the house. It’s a great option for sports fans with its wide range of live and on-demand options from NASCAR, PGA Tour, the NFL, MLB and dozens of other league channels.
Youtube TV is currently offering a limited-time offer to try out its streaming subscription service for $54.99 a month (instead of $65 a month) for your first three months. It comes with live access to more than 85 channels, across entertainment, news and sports. You can also record without storage limits and add up to six different accounts.
Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, is the best bang for your buck if all you’re looking for is live coverage of the Olympic games. Its free tier includes access to NBC’s live broadcast, but you’ll most likely have to sign for their Premium service (still only $4.99 a month) to get access to any additional play-backs, commentary or analysis.
AT&T TV offers a wide range of premium packages but their most basic entertainment subscription at $64.99 is all you need to get to NBC, in addition to more than 65 other channels such as ESPN, TNT, Nickelodean and HGTV. Their Live TV access has more than 40,000 titles and 20 hours of DVR storage. Upgrade to their Choice Package and get access to HBO Max for $15 more every month.
Come for their expansive list of shows and movies hiding behind their paywall, but stay for commercial-less streaming. Hulu Plus offers Live and On Demand TV from more than 75 channels. In addition to streaming the Olympic games in real-time, you can also record them to watch at a later date with Plus’s 50 hours of DVR storage. The added price of Plus also gives you access to all of the streamer’s original series and movies.