How can I watch the Summer Olympics online?

It was supposed to be arranged in 2020, but instead, the Summer Olympics will be held between July 23rd and August 8th in Tokyo in Japan. It will be a fantastic event, and hopefully, the events will be followed by thousands of people in the stadiums, and by millions of people watching the Summer Olympics in front of their screens. Are you looking for a way to watch the Summer Olympics on your computer, or maybe you would like to watch the Summer Olympics on your tablet or your telephone? In this article, I will show you a couple of methods that will help you watch the Summer Olympics online!

The event was originally supposed to be arranged between July 24th and August 9th in 2020. But, due to the Covid pandemic, it had to be postponed. That is the first time in history the Summer Olympics has been postponed. The official name of the event is still Tokyo 2020, even though the event is held in 2021.

Rumors has it that only Japanese spectators will be allowed to the events, thus hindering people from other countries to bring and spread Covid.

Would you like to find a way to stream the Summer Olympics on the Internet? Here I will give you a coupe of options that will help you reach that goal!

tokyo 2020

Watch the Summer Olympics online

This is one of the biggest sports events in the world (probably the biggest), and thus, the biggest TV networks in all countries will do their best to stream this. In some countries, the competitions can be seen on pay-TV channels, while it can be seen for free on national TV channels in other countries. But, if you don’t have a way to watch the Summer Olympics on your local TV station, this article will help you find a way to watch the event on your computer, tablet, or phone. And don’t forget, if you watch the Summer Olympics on your TV, you can easily use an HDMI cable and connect it to your TV, and suddenly, you are watching the Summer Olympics on your TV as well!

A few ways to stream the Summer Olympics online

Here I will list some of the TV channels that will broadcast the Summer Olympics online. These are TV channels that you can access quite easily, even outside the actual country, at least if you follow the instructions in this article.

CountryTV Station
United KingdomBBC, Eurosport
HungaryMTV
United StatesNBC Universal
SwitzerlandSRF
SpainRTVE
PortugalRTP
NetherlandsNOS
ItalyRAI
GermanyARD, ZDF
DenmarkDR
AustriaORF
IrelandRTE
FinlandYLE

These are some of the TV networks that will broadcast the Summer Olympics in their respective country. There are many countries that I did not include on the list, and that is because they are pay-TV channels that is hard to access for people elsewhere in the world.

But, how can you take advantage of this information? How will this information help you watch the Summer Olympics online?

The Summer Olympics Streaming Guide

In order to watch the Summer Olympics on one of the TV channels listed above, this is what you need to do!

  • You need to purchase a VPN subscription to ExpressVPN. Click the button below to visit the ExpressVPN website and to get a big discount. ExpressVPN is the best VPN for unblocking streaming services and TV networks online, something that is making it perfect for those who want to watch the Summer Olympics online.
ExpressVPN

If you click the button above and purchase a 12-month plan, you will receive three additional months for free in addition.

What is a VPN?
A VPN is a tool used by people to secure their data online. It will encrypt your activities online, making sure that your ISP and other people will be unable to spy on your activities. It has increased a lot in popularity during COVID as a result of a big increase in number of people working from home, and thus in need of greater security. When you use a VPN, you will connect to a VPN server. All your data is sent through this server and this connection. As a result, all websites will believe that you are located at the location of the VPN server, and not at your actual location. That is why a VPN can be used to bypass geographical blocks used by TV networks and streaming services, and that is why it is very useful for those who want to stream the Summer Olympics online.

  • When you have purchased your VPN subscription, download the ExpressVPN application to your computer, telephone, or tablet. They also have applications for Smart TVs, Android TV, Fire TV, and it is also possible to use with your gaming console, Apple TV, or you can set it up directly on your router.

  • Run the ExpressVPN application. Now you will have a lot of options!
    • If you want to watch the Summer Olympics on BBC in the UK, connect to an ExpressVPN server in the UK.
    • To watch the Summer Olympics on ARD/ZDF in Germany, connect to a server in Germany.
    • Would you rather watch the Summer Olympics on RTVE in Spain, connect to a server in Spain.
    • Want to listen to commentators speaking a mixture of German and English? Watch the Summer Olympics on NOS in the Netherlands by connecting to an ExpressVPN server in the Netherlands.
  • Visit the website of the TV network in the country that you are interested in. If you want to watch the Summer Olympics on the BBC website, you will have to register as a free user on the BBC website before you can start to stream. Make sure to register your user with a ZIP code in the UK. You can find detailed information on how to stream the Summer Olympics on BBC further down in the article!
  • You do not need to register any user to watch the Summer Olympics on ARD/ZDF in Germany, nor on RTVE in Spain, nor on NOS in the Netherlands. All you need is to connect to a VPN server in that given country and to visit the website of the TV network you are interested in!

YOU ARE NOW READY TO WATCH THE SUMMER OLYMPICS ONLINE!

Olympics online

How to watch the Summer Olympics on BBC outside the United Kingdom?

Would you like to watch the events with English commentators? BBC in the United Kingdom is the best solution for you. I have written a few words about it earlier, but here I will show it to you step-by-step how to watch the Summer Olympics on BBC online if you live outside the United Kingdom.

  • The first step is to purchase an ExpressVPN subscription (they have a 30-day full refund policy in case you are worried)
ExpressVPN
  • Download the application to your computer. Run the application and connect to a server in the UK.
  • Visit the BBC website and register a user. It is completely free to register a user. Make sure to set your location to the United Kingdom, and register with a ZIP code in the UK (for example: N16 1EF , N16 1DZ).
  • Stream the Summer Olympics on BBC.

If you receive some warning while using ExpressVPN that you are outside the United Kingdom, open your browser in Incognito mode/Privacy mode (click the three dots in the upper right corner in the Chrome browser, and then select New Incognito Window). Log in with your BBC profile. It should work perfectly now!

If you want to watch the Summer Olympics on BBC in an even easier way, take a look at the following guide which will show you how to watch BBC online on the streaming service Zattoo in Switzerland.

Can I watch the Summer Olympics on BBC on my iPad, iPhone, and Android system?

The first step is to purchase the ExpressVPN application and to run it on your mobile phone or on your tablet.

The problem is that you will be unable to install the BBC Media Player and the BBC iPlayer application, since you cannot find it in your local Apple Store or in Google Play Store. It is quite easy to solve the problem on Android devices.

  • Android users:
    • Connect to an ExpressVPN server in the UK.
    • Download the BBC iPlayer package manually and install it from here.
    • Search for the BBC Media Player application in Google Play Store and install it (this is not limited to users in the UK).
    • You are now ready!
  • iOS users:
    • Connect to an ExpressVPN server in the UK.
    • Go to https://appleid.apple.com/ and create a brand new Apple ID.
    • Register your new profile with an address in the UK. Do not add any payment method.
    • Set your new Apple profile to be used on your Apple device.
    • Visit the Apple store and download the BBC iPlayer and the BBC Media Player application.
    • You are now ready!

You should now be ready to watch the Summer Olympics on BBC wherever you are in the world!

summer olympics streaming

How to watch the Summer Olympics online on German TV outside Germany?

The principles are exactly the same as mentioned earlier in the article.

  • Connect to an ExpressVPN server in Germany. This will give you a German IP address.
  • Visit the ZDF website or the ARD website.
  • Find the broadcast that you are interested in.

That is everything you need to know in order to watch the Summer Olympics on German TV.

How to watch the Summer Olympics on American TV?

NBC Universal will broadcast the Summer Olympics in the United States. It is impossible to now at this very moment exactly how and where their live streams can be accessed online. We might be able to watch the live streams on PeacockTV which has a fee of $5 per month, or you might need a more expensive subscription to services like SlingTV, FuboTV, YouTubeTV, or DirecTV.

We will update this part of the article a few days before the start of the Summer Olympics with even more information.

Other information about Tokyo 2020

  • There will be a total of 339 events arranged in 33 different sports.
  • There will be no international audience during the event, meaning that only people living in Japan are welcomed to the events.
  • The official start of the Summer Olympics will be on July 23rd, but the football tournament for women will have its kick-off at July 21st, and on July 22nd for men.

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