Olympics live stream: how to watch Paris 2024 for free, opening ceremony, events

A replica of the Eiffel Tower with the logo of the 2024 Olympic Games surrounded by official mascots for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games
(Image credit: Chesnot/Getty Images)

Where to watch the Olympics 2024

The 2024 Paris Olympics will be broadcast free in a number of countries. In the UK, it's BBC and BBC iPlayer streaming platform.  In Australia, the festival of sport will be live on on Channel Nine and 9Now. Viewers in America can watch all the OIympic action live on on NBC and Peacock.

On holiday or travelling outside your home country? Simply use a VPN to watch your preferred Paris 2024 Olympics live stream from anywhere in the world.

Olympics 2024 preview

Preparations for the Paris Olympics are underway. Taking place from Friday 26th July until 11th August 2024, next summer's olympiad will make Paris only the second city (after London) to have hosted the event three times. Its previous two times were in 1900 and 1924 – exactly 100 years prior to Paris 2024.

But enough about the past. Paris 2024 will have plenty of new innovations. Like the Olympic Seine, which takes the traditional opening ceremony outside of the stadium and into the city itself, transforming the iconic river into the setting for a parade like no other. More than 160 boats and show barges will traverse the 6km route from Pont D'Austerlitz, past world-famous monuments and bridges to the finish at Port D'Iena, with plenty of artistic performances along the way. At the finish line, they will be greeted by a grand finale at the Trocadero.

There will be some additional sports at Paris 2024 too. The four are: break dancing (aka breaking, which had its debut at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games), sport climbing, skateboarding and surfing. Karate, baseball and softball have been dropped this time around.

And there's footie. Lots of footie. The men's and women's Olympic Football Tournaments will span the duration of the games, effectively making it a mini World Cup. Matches will take place across seven cities throughout France.

Plenty to look forward to, then. But where do you watch it all? Thankfully, it's easier than ever to find a free Paris 2024 Olympics live stream...

Australia: Olympics 2024 live stream

Paris 2024 Olympics free on 9Now

Paris 2024 Olympics free on 9Now

9Now – Channel 9's video on-demand service – is the place to find comprehensive coverage of the Olympics. And best of all, it's free! (You just have to put up with the adverts). 

You can access 9Now on your smart TV and on all major platforms including iOS and Android.

Travelling abroad? ExpressVPN will unblock any local stream, so you can watch free from anywhere in the world. Top tip: sign for a year to save 49% on the usual price.

Watch an Olympics 2024 live stream from anywhere

Most Olympics 2024 live streams are location-sensitive. So, you won't be able to access your usual coverage when traveling away from home. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a small but powerful app that lets you select your preferred location and quickly unblock any Olympics live stream.

ExpressVPN is our pick of the best VPN services. It's affordable, fast, and easy to use. Try it risk-free for 30 days and see for yourself.

Try ExpressVPN risk-free for 30 days
ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee with its VPN service. You can use it to watch the Olympics 2024 live streams on your mobile, tablet, laptop, TV, games console, and more. There's 24/7 customer support, too. Try it – you'll be surprised how simple it is. Five stars.

Try ExpressVPN risk-free for 30 days
ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee with its VPN service. You can use it to watch the Olympics 2024 live streams on your mobile, tablet, laptop, TV, games console, and more. There's 24/7 customer support, too. Try it – you'll be surprised how simple it is. Five stars.

For the best value, try the 12-month subscription

UK: Olympics 2024 live stream

Like the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, rights to the 2024 Paris Olympics will be shared between the BBC and Warner Bros Discovery. That means you'll be able to watch plenty of action – both live and round-ups – for free on BBC channels and iPlayer, but to watch every moment live, you'll have to pay Warner Bros Discovery for the privilege.

Warner Bros Discovery owns Discovery+ and Eurosport, which is soon to be rebadged as TNT Sports thanks to a merger with BT Sport. It hasn't yet been announced which of Warner Bros Discovery's properties will be home to Olympics 2024 coverage, or if it will be split among many.

Olympics 2024 on BBC iPlayer

Olympics 2024 on BBC iPlayer
You know the drill – great coverage from a host of top pundits and presenters (among them Michael Johnson, Mark Foster and Clare Balding), with wall-to-wall analysis for the duration of the Olympics. And with awesome usability and access on any platform under the sun, iPlayer is one of the best ways to watch.

USA: Watch an Olympics 2024 live stream

In the USA, NBC will air Olympics coverage on cable, while the action will be available to stream on Peacock. 

If you don't have cable, it's simple to watch NBC on a streaming service like Sling or Fubo.

Olympics 2024 on Sling TV 50% off your first month

Olympics 2024 on Sling TV 50% off your first month
Sling Blue provides streaming access to NBC. A subscription costs $40 each month, but you'll get $20 off your first month. There's no contract and you can cancel at any time. What's to lose?

Fubo Free 7-day trial | $74.99 a month

Fubo Free 7-day trial | $74.99 a month
Fubo includes NBC (plus CBS, ABC, and Fox) so it's a great way to stream sports, including the Olympics 2024. The app supports Roku, Fire TV, and iOS/Android devices. No contract, cancel anytime.

Canada: Watch an Olympics 2024 live stream

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In Canada, Olympics coverage is split between CBC, Sportsnet and TSN. 

Lots of events will be free to watch on CBC Gem (with ads).

If you're unable to tune in due to geo-blocking restrictions, a VPN is all you need to watch the action as you would at home.

If you prefer Sportsnet, an SN Now subscription costs $14.99 per month, $49.99 for four months, or $149.99 per year.

You can subscribe to TSN on a streaming-only basis for $19.99 a month or $199.90 per year.

New Zealand: Paris 2024 Olympics live stream

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In New Zealand, it looks TVNZ, which is free to watch, and Sky Sport are the official broadcasters of the upcoming Olympic Games.

You'll also be able to live stream TVNZ's Olympics coverage online via the free TVNZ Plus streaming service.

A Sky Sport Now subscription costs from $19.99 per week but new users get a 7-day free trial.

Can I watch the Olympics free?

You can watch the Olympics 2024 free on iPlayer in the UK, on 9Now in Australia, on CBC in Canada, and on TVZ+ in New Zealand. For US coverage you'll need NBC and/or the Peacock streaming service.

When is the opening ceremony?

The Olympics 2024 opening ceremony takes place on Friday 26th July 2024. With the ceremony taking place outside the stadium for the first time ever, and over 600,000 spectators expected to line the banks of the Seine, it promises to be an opening ceremony like no any other.

How can I buy tickets?

The single tickets sales phase of the 2024 Olympics is now over, but you can sign up on the website to see the next steps in ticket allocation. Bonne chance!

What new sports will be at the Olympics 2024?

Four additional sports will take part at the 2024 Olympics, alongside the 28 'core' events. The additional sports are break dancing (aka breaking), sport climbing, skateboarding and surfing.

Can I watch the 2024 Olympics in China?

As CMG –China Media Group – has been officially invited to be one of the main broadcasters for the Paris Olympic Games, responsible for producing international public signals for four major events (gymnastics, table tennis, badminton and sport climbing), it's highly likely the CCTV will broadcast live coverage.

Can I watch the Paris Olympics in 8K?

It's not officially confirmed, but a handful of broadcasters are expected to show parts of the Paris 2024 Olympic games in 8K resolution. 

CMG – China Media Group – one of the main broadcasters for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, responsible for producing international public signals for gymnastics, table tennis, badminton and sport climbing, has said that it will use "5G+4K/8K+AI" technology to deliver high-quality coverage. 

Of course, 8K Olympic coverage is nothing new. Japanese outfit NHK broadcast around 200 hours of 8K video during the Tokyo Summer Games. More recently, America's NBC streamed parts of the 2022 Winter Olympics in 8K VR.

Joe Svetlik

Joe has been writing about tech for 17 years, first on staff at T3 magazine, then in a freelance capacity for Stuff, The Sunday Times Travel Magazine, Men's Health, GQ, The Mirror, Trusted Reviews, TechRadar and many more (including What Hi-Fi?). His specialities include all things mobile, headphones and speakers that he can't justifying spending money on.