The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games officially kicks off on Friday, June 23, and you can enjoy it all on Apple TV, iPhone, iPad and Mac. We’ll guide you through who’s hosting the action, and which apps you’ll need to watch it.
Thanks to another wave of COVID-19 and strict restrictions on travel and events in Japan, it’s not possible to go and watch any of the Olympic events in person this year. But that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on anything.
It’s easy to stay on top of the action — no matter where you might be — using your iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple TV. Here’s how.
How to watch the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
Although some events have already begun taking place, the opening ceremony for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is set for June 23 at 4 a.m. PT or 7 a.m. ET, followed by event coverage from a number of networks.
NBC will be replaying the opening ceremony in full on July 23 at 4:30 p.m. PT or 7:30 p.m. ET. You can tune in on any of your Apple devices via a cable provider that offers NBC, including AT&T Now, Hulu Live TV, and Sling. A full list of supported cable providers can be found on the NBC website.
You may also be able to watch NBC for free using the Locast service, depending on your location. Locast allows users in select cities to tune into local TV stations, including NBC, over the internet. Locast is available on the web, as well as through an app for iPhone, iPad and Apple TV.
Those who do have a cable subscription will also be able to enjoy additional coverage — more than 1,300 hours of it — on NBC’s sister stations, including CNBC, Golf Channel, NBCSN, Olympic Channel, and USA Network.
Other ways to watch
You can also use your cable provider login details to sign into the NBC Sports app, where you’ll find more Olympics coverage than you can handle. NBC promises more than 5,500 hours of it, including the opening and closing ceremonies and on-demand replays of your favorite sports.
Peacock, a streaming service owned by NBC, is also offering Olympics coverage, and some of it (more than any previous Olympics has offered) will be free inside the U.S. You’ll simply need to download the Peacock app for iOS, iPadOS and tvOS — or visit the Peacock website on your Mac.
If you choose to subscribe to Peacock for $5 a month, you’ll get to enjoy all of the Olympics coverage as it happens — as well as USA men’s basketball and on-demand replays of your favorite events (not available for free).
If you’re not too bothered about watching the Tokyo 2020 Olympics live, then you may choose to wait to see the clips and highlights on YouTube. NBC will be posting content to its own channel as it’s available, and you’ll be able to watch it using the YouTube app or by visiting the YouTube website.
