• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Arts & Entertainment

Here Are All the Ways You Can Watch the Rio Olympics

By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 5, 2016, 1:00 PM ET

The 2016 Summer Olympics kick off Friday night in Rio de Janeiro with an opening ceremony that is likely to be one of the most-watched TV events of the year, if previous Olympic openings are any guide.

The opening ceremony for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London drew a reported global audience of 900 million people, with 41 million of those people watching from within the U.S. For some context, those U.S. viewership totals would outpace this year’s Academy Awards (34.3 million viewers) while falling well short of the most recent Super Bowl (111 million).

In other words, a lot of people will be tuning in to host network NBC for tonight’s festivities—featuring the ceremonial lighting of the Olympic cauldron and the parade of thousands of athletes from 206 countries (even Russia!)—as well as for the sporting events planned for the next two weeks in Rio, as NBC is likely to easily average more than 30 million viewers each night.

Of course, not everyone will be able to watch NBC’s Olympics coverage live between now and the closing ceremonies on August 21, as the network has once again opted to air various Olympic events on a tape-delay. The opening ceremony is no different, as the event will air on a one-hour delay for viewers on the east coast of the U.S., with even longer delays in the western U.S.

For a by-the-numbers look at the games, check out this piece: https://fortune.com/rio-olympics-numbers/.

While many viewers complain about NBC’s tape-delay tradition, the network maintains that the practice is better for ratings as NBC claims female viewers (who actually make up the bulk of the Olympics’ audience) watch sports differently than men do, with women investing more in coverage showing athletes’ journeys to the games than in the actual results. (Still, some people are looking for ways to circumvent NBC’s tape delay to watch the Olympics live.)

Considering that NBC spent more than $1.2 billion to secure the U.S. rights to air the Rio Olympics (and has paid even more to air the Olympics through 2032), it’s understandable that the Comcast-owned network would be particular when it comes to its broadcast strategy. And, that Olympics coverage has already proven to be a windfall for the network, which said this week that it has already set a record with $1.2 billion in national advertising sales for this year’s summer games, which puts NBC on pace for a 20% bump over the network’s ad sales for the 2012 London Olympics when this year’s event is finished.

NBCUniversal has a lot of ad space to fill, too, as the company says it will produce 6,755 hours of Olympics coverage over the next two weeks across its family of broadcast and cable networks, plus streaming. With that in mind, here are all of the ways you can watch the 2016 Summer Olympics.

TV (broadcast and cable): You can catch thousands of hours of Summer Olympics coverage on NBCUniversal’s two broadcast networks, NBC and Telemundo (for Spanish language coverage, and on eight different cable networks: Bravo, CNBC, the Golf Channel, MSNBC, NBC Sports Network, NBC Universo (Spanish language), the USA Network, and two “Specialty Channels” that will carry basketball and soccer games. NBC even said it’s offering some 4K Ultra HD coverage to various cable and satellite providers for certain Olympic events.

Streaming: NBC will be live-streaming every single athletic event at this year’s Olympics, which means 4,500 total hours of content on NBCOlympics.com or through the NBC Sports app. Roughly 85% of viewers are expected to watch some of NBC’s coverage via a “second-screen” (aka mobile) device, according to WalletHub, and NBC said this will be the first year that viewers will be able to watch the network’s coverage through a connected TVs, including Apple TV, Google’s Chromecast, Roku, and Amazon Fire devices. NBC is expected to draw a pretty sizable digital audience this year, as more and more people stream live content, and those high expectations are evident in the fact that the network’s digital ad sales are up 33% over the 2012 Summer Olympics. (Viewers watching online or through the NBC app will need to enter login credentials for their cable provider.)

Streaming for Cord-cutters: There are several ways to watch the Olympics without cable, including a subscription to the Dish Network’s Sling TV service, which streams most major NBCUniversal channels carrying Olympics coverage as part of its $25-per-month package. Another option is Sony’s Playstation Vue, which also streams various NBC channels and has subscription packages starting at $30 per month. Additionally, Playstation Vue subscribers can use their login credentials for that service to access the NBC Sports app and stream the Olympics on mobile devices, as well. Both Sling TV and Playstation Vue also have seven-day free trials, but that would only cover you for half of the Olympics. (Note: NBC’s network feed is only available to Sling TV and Playstation Vue customers in “select markets.”)

Of course, if you’re a cord-cutter who doesn’t want to pay for a fancy subscription streaming package, there’s always an even cheaper, though not quite as fruitful, option: get a digital antenna. You can watch more than 260 hours of Olympics coverage on the flagship NBC broadcast channel for free with an antenna in most U.S. locations and the antenna itself can cost as little as roughly $10. (Meanwhile, if you really want to skimp, some sites are also offering tutorials on how to use a VPN, or virtual private network, to cut out NBC and access free livestreams from other countries.)

Virtual Reality: Want to feel like you’re actually at the Rio Olympics without the cost of a plane ticket to Brazil (or the risk of contracting the Zika virus)? NBC has you covered in the form of a partnership with Samsung that will allow users of the NBC Sports app, who also have a Samsung Gear VR as well as a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, to access more than 100 hours of virtual reality programming. That VR content will include coverage of the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as certain men’s basketball, gymnastics, track and field, beach volleyball, diving, boxing, and fencing events.

About the Author
By Tom Huddleston Jr.
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

xmas
Europehistory
Christmas 500 years ago was a drunken 6-week feast that may have been considerably better than the modern holiday, medieval historian says
By Bobbi Sutherland and The ConversationDecember 25, 2025
19 hours ago
Kennedy
Arts & EntertainmentWhite House
Drummer cancels Christmas Eve ‘Jazz Jams’ at Kennedy Center after name change, ending 20-year tradition
By Hillel Italie and The Associated PressDecember 25, 2025
23 hours ago
charity
Arts & Entertainmentphilanthropy
Most Americans decide 2025 isn’t the year for charity, poll says
By James Pollard, Linley Sanders and The Associated PressDecember 24, 2025
1 day ago
Dianna Tompkins sits on a stair in front of her home in Demotte, Ind., Dec. 17, 2025.
Arts & Entertainmentgovernment shutdown
When SNAP payments stopped, a fast-moving nonprofit program rushed in with $12 million—and kept families fed
By James Pollard and The Associated PressDecember 24, 2025
2 days ago
jews/chinese food
Arts & EntertainmentRestaurants
American Jews, Chinese food and Christmas: The first connection was a 1935 gift of chow mein to a New Jersey orphanage
By Samira Mehta and The ConversationDecember 24, 2025
2 days ago
North AmericaU.S. Politics
Republican lawmaker and notable Trump critic Ben Sasse announces stage 4 cancer: ‘Now marching to the beat of a faster drummer’
By The Associated PressDecember 23, 2025
3 days ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Real Estate
Mark Zuckerberg gifted noise-canceling headphones to his Palo Alto neighbors because of the nonstop construction around his 11 homes
By Dave SmithDecember 25, 2025
19 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Chinese billionaire who has fathered more than 100 children hopes to have dozens of U.S.-born boys to one day take over his business
By Emma BurleighDecember 25, 2025
20 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Trump turns government into giant debt collector with threat to garnish wages on millions of Americans in default on student loans
By Annie Ma and The Associated PressDecember 24, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Even if the Supreme Court rules Trump's global tariffs are illegal, refunds are unlikely because that would be 'very complicated,' Hassett says
By Jason MaDecember 21, 2025
4 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Meet the millennial father of six who rebuilt his life through the trades—and questions America's obsession with college
By Eva RoytburgDecember 24, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Retail
Trump just declared Christmas Eve a national holiday. Here’s what’s open and closed
By Dave SmithDecember 24, 2025
2 days ago

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.