Barely six months after the Summer Olympics were held in Tokyo, its Winter counterpart returns to the international stage, this time in Beijing, China.
The Beijing Winter Olympics are poised to be stand apart from past years for several reasons, none of which bode well. With the last Games hosted in Pyeonchang, South Korea in 2018, these are the first Winter Olympics to be staged after COVID-19, which comes with several complications in terms of on-site spectators and media. Then there are the geopolitical issues surrounding the Chinese government’s multiple human rights abuses, prompting countries including the U.S. to call a diplomatic boycott and athletes and journalists taking precautions to avoid being surveilled.
Amid the chaos, one constant remains: NBC will be broadcasting the games, as they have since 2002. From team figure skating and men and women’s moguls on Feb. 3 to the Closing Ceremony on Feb. 20, the broadcast network and its affiliate channels will be providing live coverage of 15 disciplines across seven different sports.
If you’re looking to tune in to the Games via broadcast or streaming, here’s what you need to know.
When Do the Olympics begin?
NBC’s live primetime coverage of the Winter Olympics began on Thursday, Feb. 3, the night before the Opening Ceremony. The Opening Ceremony airs live on Friday morning at 6:30 a.m. ET and twice on Friday evening: 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. PT, with replay beginning at 12:38 a.m. PT.
However, NBCU’s coverage kicked off Wednesday, Feb. 2 on USA Network. The cable channel televised live curling (featuring Team USA), live women’s ice hockey (Canada vs. Switzerland) and training for the men’s downhill skiing.
Where Can You Watch the Winter Olympics Live on TV?
NBC will broadcast nearly 200 hours of live Olympics coverage for 18 nights, from Feb. 3 to Feb. 20. If you want to tune in on your TV, the network’s primetime coverage begins at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET every night, with the exception of Sundays, which start at 4 p.m PT. The Games will be broadcast in every time zone.
Keeping in mind that Beijing is 13 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time and 16 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time, NBC’s “Primetime Plus” program will broadcast extensive coverage of the Olympics’ most popular sports, such as figure skating, alpine skiing, snowboarding, short track, and speed skating. The program begins after late local news for most time zones.
If you prefer to watch on cable, tune in to USA Network for non-stop coverage and CNBC for evening coverage.
For NBC’s full games schedule, click here.
For information on where to watch from anywhere in the world, check out this guide.
Where Are the Olympics Streaming?
If streaming is more your speed, Peacock’s premium tier subscription offers unlimited access to the live Games – including all events airing on both NBC and cable channels. That includes the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, medal ceremonies and highlight clips.
In case you miss the live games, Peacock’s premium tier also offers full instant replays of all competitions.
The streaming platform will also host four exclusive shows:
- “The Olympics Show” (8 a.m. – 10 a.m. PT), a live studio show featuring previews and highlights;
- “Olympic Ice” (10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. ET), which focuses solely on figure skating;
- “Winter Gold” (11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET), revolving around top performances of the day; and
- “Top Highlights” (8:00 p.m. – 8:00 a.m. ET), a further look into unmissable moments
You can sign up for Peacock at PeacockTV.com. Peacock Premium costs $4.99 per month.
Where Can I Watch the Olympics Online?
Digital coverage can be found at NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app. NBCOlympics.com is also where you can find competition results, schedules, medal counts, athlete profile pages, and more.