It’s that time of the season again. And by that, I don’t mean slushy city snow, post-Christmas blues, and the throes of Valentine’s Day. Nope, the Winter Olympics are upon us! Pyeongchang, South Korea hosted the last Winter Olympics in 2018, and now, it’s China’s turn to bring on the games for 2022.
The 24th Winter Olympics will take place in Beijing this year, introducing the first (and hopefully last) Winter Olympics to take place during the COVID-19 pandemic. If February 2022 feels a little early for the games, you aren’t wrong. The 2020 Summer Olympics were postponed to 2021 due to the pandemic, so instead of having a two-year gap between the summer and winter games, we’re getting them back-to-back.
Interested in checking out the winter games for yourself? Read on for more information about where to catch them, and whether you can watch them for free.
Where to watch the Beijing Winter Olympics
For American viewers, NBC is once again your first-stop for all things Winter Olympics. The best way to watch the games by far is NBCUniversal’s streaming platform Peacock, which promises to host every single game and event live—that’s over 2,800 hours, by NBC’s estimates—as long as you have a premium subscription. If you don’t have cable nor a livestream TV plan but want to catch the Olympics, paying $4.99 per month is the best deal by far. (More below if you aren’t ready to pay for access.)
Already own cable, satellite, or livestream TV? You’re in luck. For the biggest primetime events, your local NBC station will do. The overwhelming majority of TV livestreaming services offer NBC, including Sling TV, YouTube TV, Hulu + LiveTV, and fuboTV, just to name a few. Granted, if you’re only interested in Winter Olympics coverage and not much else, consider going down the Peacock premium route instead.
One thing to note if you’re watching the games through cable: NBC has split coverage for the Olympics across its networks. The biggest events are broadcasted right on NBC, but you may need to dig around across USA Network, CNBC, and even the NBC Sports app for other competitions. Check out NBC’s official Beijing Winter Olympics schedule for more information.
Outside of the U.S. and still eager to watch the games? The official Olympics website provides additional information on where you can find coverage in your country. U.K. viewers, for example, can watch the games on Eurosport or through the BBC, while Canadians have a variety of options, from the CBC to Telelatino Network.
Can you watch the Winter Olympics for free?
If you’re in the U.S., you technically don’t need to subscribe to Peacock for Beijing Winter Olympics coverage. NBCUniversal’s streaming platform Peacock will provide “some Olympics must-see moments and replays” for free, according to the platform’s official site. More specifically, this means free viewers can catch “daily shows with highlights and analysis,” as well as “curated clips of the most memorable moments from the games.”
Is this the ideal way to follow the games? If you’re only looking for the biggest moments, it works. But it’s far better to bite the bullet and go premium if you want to catch the events as they happen.
(Image: Team USA)
