By Let the Games begin! The 2024 Summer Olympics kick off this Friday, July 26 with a historic Opening Ceremony taking place along the Seine River, right through the heart of Paris. The ceremony will feature a parade of 10,500 Olympic athletes from 206 countries — including those representing Team USA. Coverage of the Olympics Opening Ceremony, hosted by Mike Tirico, Kelly Clarkson and Peyton Manning, will air on NBC and stream live on Peacock. TODAY Show hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb will also help out with hosting duties from a spot along the river.
The Opening Ceremony parade will conclude at the Trocadero, across from the Eiffel Tower, where French president Emmanuel Macron will give a speech, and the Olympic cauldron will be lit to officially signal the beginning of the Games.
Are you ready to tune in? Here’s what you need to know about watching the 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony this Friday.
How to watch the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony:
Date: Friday, July 26
Time: 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT
Location: Paris, FR
TV channel: NBC
Streaming: Peacock
When is the Olympics Opening Ceremony?
The 2024 Summer Olympic Games officially begin on Friday, July 26 with a historic Opening Ceremony along the Seine. In the U.S., the Opening ceremony will kick off at 1:30 p.m. ET.
There will also be a Paris Preview Show airing from 12-1:30 p.m. ET (airing on both NBC and Peacock). An enhanced encore showing of the ceremony will air on primetime on NBC at 7:30 p.m. that same evening — and will be available to stream on Peacock.
What channel is the 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony on?
Coverage of the Opening Ceremony will air on NBC and stream live on Peacock. If you have cable but don’t have a Peacock subscription, you can also catch a livestream of the Olympics Opening Ceremony on NBC.com.
How to watch the 2024 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony live without cable:
(Peacock)
Starting at $8 a month, a Peacock subscription is the easiest way to stream all of the 2024 Olympics. Peacock will have coverage of every Olympic sport at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Plus, the platform offers subscribers an Olympics Discovery Multiview, allowing you to watch up to four events at once. Peacock will also have several original shows covering the Games, including Gold Zone, Watch with Alex Cooper and a mobile-app exclusive, customizable and individualized Olympics recap show, narrated by an A.I.-generated voice of Al Michaels.
On top of coverage of every Olympic sport in 2024, you’ll also get access to thousands of hours of shows and movies, including beloved sitcoms such as Parks and Recreation and The Office. For $14 monthly you can upgrade to an ad-free subscription which includes live access to your local NBC affiliate (not just during designated sports and events) and the ability to download select titles to watch offline.
Where is the 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony being held?
The Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony will make history as the first to step out of the typical Olympic stadiums, and into the Seine River. The Opening Ceremony will start with a parade of athletes traveling by boat along the Seine, through the heart of the city. Spectators will be able to watch the parade for free along the river all across Paris.
Another part of the Opening Ceremony will be held at the Trocadero, across from the Eiffel Tower. Ceremonial procedures including a speech from French president Emmanuel Macron and the lighting of the cauldron will take place there.
Who is performing at the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony?
In addition to the parade of 10,500 Olympic athletes, there will be performances from dancers and other artists featured in the Opening Ceremony, including Celine Dion and Lady Gaga.
What’s the time difference like for the Paris Olympics in the U.S.?
If you’re tuning in to support Team USA from the USA, you’ll need to adjust accordingly. Paris is only 6 hours ahead of the East Coast, so while some of the more niche sports may unfortunately start around 3 a.m. your time, more widely watched sports like Tennis, Gymnastics and Diving will start at a more reasonable time in the morning, closer to 9 a.m. ET — sorry to all those watching on the West Coast, get ready to set your alarms!
Every way to watch the 2024 Olympics:
NBCUniversal will be the home of the 2024 Olympics, with most of the action airing on NBC and streaming on Peacock. Select events will also air on USA Network, Golf Channel, CNBC and E!, as well as Spanish coverage on Universo and Telemundo.
