Sports enthusiasts around the world are rejoicing as the start of the 2020 Summer Olympics finally draws nearer. The famous multi-sport event was initially set to occur between July 24 and August 9, 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that the pandemic has slowed in some parts of the world and vaccines are rolling out, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics are back on track.
This is the first time in history that the Olympic Games have been rescheduled rather than cancelled. It’s also the first time in history that international spectators will not be allowed to sit in the audience, which means that hundreds of thousands of people worldwide will be looking for ways to tune into the games digitally. If you’re one of them, read on to learn how.
Tokyo Olympics Update
The Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games are being held across 42 venues throughout Tokyo and feature a record-breaking 33 competitions with 339 events. The games will feature everything from basketball, baseball, and badminton to canoe sprints, BMX cycling, sailing, skateboarding, trampoline gymnastics, and pretty much any other sport you can think of in-between.
The opening ceremony for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics will be held on July 23, 2021. It starts bright and early at 7:00 a.m. EST and 4:00 a.m. PST. While some games like soccer, softball, archery, and rowing will begin between July 21 and 23, the bulk of the action starts on Saturday, July 24.
The Schedule Structure
After the Olympics opening ceremony, the games take place throughout the following 16 days. Team events and some other events span almost all the games, while others, like swimming, gymnastics, and track and field, are held over brief periods. Swimming and gymnastics are held in the first week of the Olympics, while track and field span the second week.
Accounting for the Time Difference
Tokyo time is 13 hours ahead of EST, so American viewers need to account for the time difference if they want to watch the games live. Many of the main events will be held in Tokyo’s evening hours, which will be early morning in the United States. The only event scheduled to air during prime-time hours in the U.S. is swimming.
How Fans Can Stream the Tournament Online
The leading network to tune in to catch the Tokyo Summer Olympics is NBC Universal, which will be streaming most of the events on its Peacock streaming service. The NBCUniversal conglomerate owns exclusive rights to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in the United States, though it’s expected to broadcast the games on several channels in the United States.
If you want to stream Olympics 2021 live online, there are several options to choose from based on where in the world you’re watching from. Before you get started, download a VPN (Virtual Private Network), so you can connect to a server in the country you want to watch from.
Download a VPN, choose a streaming platform, and mark your calendars for the event that the world has been waiting for. The Tokyo Summer Olympics are just around the corner.
