Editor’s Pick
Fubo gives you 185+ sports-focused live channels.
How to Watch the Olympics for Free: Over-the-Air and Streaming Online
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Written by Frank Moraes Senior Content Editor
Every two years, except during rare global health crises, I get to witness the Olympics unfold. It’s a special moment when people across the globe unite to watch elite athletes compete in numerous sports that typically live in the shadows of major professional leagues.
In a hurry? All of these services provide excellent coverage of the Olympics — and a lot more:
Our #1 Service to Watch Olympics
More options (DIRECTV, Hulu + Live TV)
DIRECTV includes every regional sports network in its Choice plan, plus 90+ other channels.
Hulu + Live TV gets you 95+ live channels, plus the Disney+ and ESPN+ bundle.
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PRO TIP: Traveling? Use ExpressVPN to keep watching Olympics anywhere in the world.
Our upcoming games are (with complete viewer’s guides):
- Winter Olympics 2026: February 6 — 22 in Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
- Summer Olympics 2028: July 14 — July 30 in Los Angeles, USA
Olympics History
The modern Olympic Games started in 1896 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which itself was founded in 1894.
The first event took place in April of 1986 in Athens, Greece. Roughly a dozen countries competed in nine sports: Athletics, Cycling (Road, Track), Fencing, Gymnastics, Shooting, Swimming, Tennis, Weight Lifting, and Wrestling. Women did not start competing at the Olympics until the 1900 Games.
The first winter sport was added to the Summer Games in 1908. That was figure skating. The Winter Games themselves didn’t begin until 1924. It featured 5 sports (9 disciplines): Bobsleigh, Curling, Ice Hockey, Skating (Figure Skating, Speed Skating), and Nordic Skiing (Military Patrol, Cross-Country Skiing, Nordic Combined, Ski Jumping).
The Olympics have grown enormously since these early years. There will be over 200 National Olympic Committees (roughly the equivalent of countries) represented at the 2024 Paris Summer Games. And they will compete in 329 events in 32 sports (45 disciplines).
The Winter games are smaller. The 2022 Beijing Games featured 109 events in 7 sports (15 disciplines). Roughly 90 countries were represented.
Olympics Broadcasting
The 1936 German Summer Olympics were the first to be televised and one of the first broadcasts ever. That was right before the start of World War II and the following four Olympics (1940, 1944) were canceled.
CBS was the first to broadcast the Olympics to a US audience — showing both the Winter and Summer Games that year. In 1964, ABC presented the Winter Games and NBC presented the Summer Games. ABC dominated broadcasting from then through the 1988 Winter Games.
In recent years, NBC has been the home of the Olympic Games. They have broadcast every Summer Game since 1988 and every Winter Game since 2002. This will continue through the 2032 Games in Brisbane, Australia.
In the United Kingdom, the BBC has been broadcasting the games since 1956 with ITV doing so some years. RTÉ has mostly been the home of the Olympics in Ireland.
In Canada, the CBC has been the primary Olympics broadcaster but things have been spread around in more recent years. At the 2024 Games, broadcasting was shared by CBC, TSN, Sportsnet, and RDS.
The Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) brought the first several Olympics to viewers in Australia. But in recent years, it has bounced around between Network 10, Seven Network, and Nine Network. In 2024, it was featured on Nine.
TV New Zealand (TVNZ) was the home of the Olympics for many years. These days, it is mostly on Sky Sport (sometimes along with TVNZ). Sky Television had exclusive rights to the 2024 Games.
Our Choice
If you want the best way to stream the Olympics, Fubo is the top pick. It’s got over 150 channels, so not only will you catch every Olympic moment, but you’ll also have access to plenty of other sports and entertainment. The stream quality is solid, and the interface is super easy to use – perfect if you don’t want to waste time hunting for events. What makes Fubo stand out is its mix of sports coverage and great DVR options, letting you record and watch on your own schedule. Compared to other services, it offers a fantastic channel lineup and works on just about any device. If you’re looking for a hassle-free way to watch, Fubo’s the way to go.
Update history
This page was revised 8 times between July 2021 and May 2023.
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Frank was the Senior Content Editor at Hotdog.com and an expert in sports streaming, specializing in out-of-market games and regional sports networks.
A passionate cord-cutter and longtime subscriber to numerous streaming services, Frank has first-hand experience navigating the complexities of sports streaming.
With a PhD in Atmospheric Physics from the Oregon Graduate Institute and a professional background in early streaming technology, Frank combines deep technical insight with practical, real-world knowledge.
His mission at Hotdog.com was straightforward: help sports fans get hassle-free access to the games they love, at the best price, without frustration.
A passionate cord-cutter and longtime subscriber to numerous streaming services, Frank has first-hand experience navigating the complexities of sports streaming.
With a PhD in Atmospheric Physics from the Oregon Graduate Institute and a professional background in early streaming technology, Frank combines deep technical insight with practical, real-world knowledge.
His mission at Hotdog.com was straightforward: help sports fans get hassle-free access to the games they love, at the best price, without frustration.
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