Gymnastics or Swimming? How to Watch the 2024 Paris Olympics Online for Free (2024)

The Summer Olympics are here, but you don't have to be in Paris to catch the action.

Media companies around the globe pay big bucks for the rights to air the Games. In the US, that's NBC, so streamers will need Peaco*ck or a live TV streaming service with access to NBC. For those who don't need another streaming subscription, though, a VPN can help you tap into some free options from the around the globe.

Here's all the information you need to watch the Paris Olympics online for free.

How Long Do the Paris Olympics 2024 Last?

The Paris Olympics were officially declared "open" during the Opening Ceremony on July 26. The Closing Ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 11 at 3 p.m. ET.

How to Stream the 2024 Paris Olympics for Free

In the US, you can watch all the Olympic action live on channels like NBC, USA, and MSNBC. If you have cut the cord with cable TV, you can catch the Games on NBC's streaming service Peaco*ck, whose subscription starts at $7.99 a month.

But if you wish to stream the Olympics without spending a dime, there's an option for that, too. The BBC iPlayer and several other platforms are streaming Paris 2024 for free.

• Australia: 9Now - FREE (Whole event)

• UK: BBC iPlayer - FREE (more than 250 hours of live coverage)

• Canada: CBC Gem - FREE (Whole event on multiple platforms, app only)

• The Netherlands: NOS - FREE (more than 200 hours of live coverage)

• France: France TV - FREE (200 hours of live coverage)

• Germany: ARD/ZDF - FREE (Shared live coverage)

• Italy: RAI - FREE (200 hours of live coverage)

• Belgium: RTBF (200 hours of live coverage)

However, these platforms are geo-restricted to their respective countries, and accessing them from any other location would require a virtual private network such as ExpressVPN, which PCMag deemed the best for global location spoofers in our roundup of the best VPN services. VPN services can help you unlock geo-restricted content by hiding your IP address and connecting you to a secure server in a location of your choice.

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to watch the Summer Olympics for free online. We're using 9Now in Australia for demonstration.

• Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN.

• Download the VPN app on your device (PC or smartphone).

• Launch the app and pick a server in the country of your chosen platform (Australia, in this case).

• After establishing a connection, visit your preferred website (9Now) and start streaming the Paris Olympics.

Note: If the website asks for access to your location, make sure to hit disallow. And if the website requires you to sign up, make sure to enter a local postal code. Also, use the translation services provided by your browser for easier navigation.

Of course, not all VPNs for streaming are free. But many of these services offer free trial periods and money-back guarantees, which you can use to watch the Olympics live.

Team USA Olympic Schedule for Aug. 1: Must-Watch Events

Now that you know how to watch, here's a list of Team USA events you shouldn't miss today.

Gymnastics

• Women's Individual All-Around Final, 12:15 p.m.ET

After winning gold in the team all-around event, Simone Biles will compete in the individual all-around final today. Biles, who is the favorite to win the event, is on the cusp of yet another historic moment. A gold medal today would make her the first woman to win this particular event at three different Olympics.

Swimming

• Women's 200m Butterfly Final, 2:30 p.m. ET

• Men's 200m Backstroke Final, 2:38 p.m. ET

• Women's 200m Breaststroke Final, 3:11 p.m. ET

• Women's 4x200m Freestyle Relay Final, 4:03 p.m. ET

Team USA, comprising Anna Peplowski, Erin Gemmell, Simone Manuel, and Alex Shackell, clocked the fourth-fastest time in the heats this morning and would fight for gold in the final later today. Katie Ledecky, who won the 1500m freestyle event yesterday, is expected to swap in and anchor the team in the final.

Other notable medal contenders for USA in the pool today are Regan Smith and Alex Shackell (women's 200m butterfly), Keaton Jones (men's 200m backstroke), and Kate Douglass and Lily King (women's breaststroke 200m).

Basketball

• Women's group stage: USA vs Belgium, 3:00 p.m ET

The USA women's basketball team, which won comfortably against Japan (102-76) in their first Group C game, is up against Belgium today. With stars like A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Kelsey Plum, Sabrina Ionescu, Brittney Griner, and others in their ranks, Team USA is expected to beat Belgium, who lost their opening game against Germany.

Fencing

• Women's Team Foil Bronze/Gold Finals: 1:10 p.m./2:30 p.m. ET

Lee Kiefer, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the individual foil event, will be in action for Team USA in the team foil event today. Jacqueline Dubrovich, Maia Weintraub, and Lauren Scruggs will join Kiefer in the quest for a podium finish.

Note: Timings are subject to change depending on the turn of events at venues.

Team USA will participate in a few more notable events today. You can check out the full schedule for more details.