The 2022 Winter Olympics are just around the corner. Watching the international games is a ritual even for people who aren’t huge sports fans.
You may not realize this, but you don’t need an expensive cable os satellite subscription to watch all of the action. It’s possible to watch your favorite events and save money in the process.
If you want to know how to watch the Olympics without cable, our guide shares the best options to stream everything from Beijing.
Table of Contents
What Channel is the Winter Olympics On?
NBC is the main channel that is airing the Beijing Olympics. Some content may air on the USA Network, but your local NBC station is the primary destination for coverage.
While it would seem logical that the Olympic Channel could be a good resource to watch events, it doesn’t air live events. It’s only meant to supplement what you can watch on your local NBC affiliate.
NBC may air some events on the USA Network. As a result, all of the services in our guide also include the USA Network in their respective channel lineups.
How Can I Watch the 2022 Winter Olympics Without Cable?
An over-the-air antenna is the best way to get the Olympics without cable. However, not everyone has an antenna or wants to deal with one.
In those scenarios, live TV streaming services are the best way to livestream the Winter Olympics. Here is a breakdown of the top no-contract streaming services to catch all of the action.
| Service | Cost | Free Trial | Streams | DVR | Try |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| fuboTV | $79.99+/mo. | 7 Days | 10 | 1,000 hrs | Try |
| YouTube TV | $72.99+/mo | 7 Days | 3 | Unlimited | Try |
| DIRECTV STREAM | $79.99+/mo. | 5 Days | 20 | Unlimited | Try |
| Hulu Live | $76.99+/mo. | N/A | 2 | Unlimited | Try |
| Sling Blue | $40+/mo. | 3 Days | 3 | 50 hrs | Try |
| Peacock TV | $5.99+/mo. | 7 Days | 3 | N/A | Try |
Here are the top choices to watch the Olympics without a TV provider.
1. fuboTV
FuboTV is a fantastic choice to livestream the Winter Olympics. While it’s one of the more expensive cable alternatives, costing $79.99 per month, plus RSN fees, it provides everything an Olympic fan needs.
The service carries all of your local networks, including NBC. It also has the Olympic Channel for people who want additional insights into their favorite events and athletes.
FuboTV is a leading option to watch live sports without cable, offering over 30 sport-centric networks in its base package.
It also includes dozens of popular lifestyle and entertainment channels to round out its 105-channel package.
If you’re a fan of niche sports, like cycling and soccer, fuboTV offers roughly 12 different add-ons to get more action.
It even airs content in 4K, when available, at no additional cost.
Additionally, fuboTV’s base package includes a 1,000-hour cloud DVR to record events and games. You can try the service free for seven days to see if it’s right for you.
Read our fuboTV review to learn more.
2. YouTube TV
YouTube TV is our highest-rated live streaming service. It is a terrific choice to stream the Olympics without cable.
Like fuboTV, YouTube TV carries all of your local networks. It also includes the Olympic Channel in its base package that costs $64.99 a month.
YouTube TV has approximately 85 channels, which is about 20 channels less than fuboTV. These include a wealth of popular sports, lifestyle, and entertainment networks.
It also includes unlimited cloud-based DVR storage for all subscribers. You can try the service free for seven days to see if it’s a good option for you.
Read our YouTube TV review to learn more.
3. DIRECTV STREAM
If you want to watch full coverage of the Olympics, DIRECTV STREAM is a newer choice for cord-cutters to consider.
Formerly known as DirecTV Now and AT&T TV Now, DIRECTV STREAM is the no-contract arm of DIRECTV.
It’s the most expensive service in the market, costing $79.99 per month for its Entertainment package. This is the provider’s base package.
The base package includes all of your local stations. However, to get the Olympic Channel, you must upgrade to the company’s third tier, also known as Ultimate.
This costs $104.99 per month.
The base package includes roughly 70 channels, including many popular sports and lifestyle networks. It’s also the only service that includes all of your regional sports networks (RSNs).
If recording events is important to you, DIRECTV STREAM does offer unlimited cloud DVR recording capacity. Recordings expire after nine months.
Read our analysis of YouTube TV vs. DIRECTV STREAM to see how it compares to our top-rated service.
DIRECTV STREAM also offers a five day free trial to test out the service.
While it’s expensive, DIRECTV STREAM is still cheaper than having a cable subscription.
Read our DIRECTV STREAM review to learn more.
4. Hulu Live
Hulu Live is another excellent option to watch the Olympics online. In the same price range as fuboTV and YouTube TV, the live version of Hulu costs $76.99 per month for its base package.
This includes access to all of your local networks as well as the Olympic Channel for additional coverage of Olympic events.
The base package offers about 85 channels, including many popular sports and lifestyle networks. It also includes access to all Hulu originals from its on-demand service.
Hulu Live recently upgraded its DVR to allow for unlimited recording. Previously, the cloud DVR only allowed 50 hours, and you couldn’t fast-forward through commercials on recordings.
The DVR now also lets users skip commercials on all recordings.
You can try the service to see if it’s an ideal solution for you.
Read our Hulu Live review to learn more.
5. Sling TV
Sling TV is one of the more affordable options to watch Olympic events. But, you must live in the right area to get NBC in your subscription.
Sling has two base packages, including Orange and Blue. Both cost $40 a month.
To watch NBC online, you must select Blue and live in a city that offers the local station.
Here is where you can get NBC on Sling TV.
| City | Station |
|---|---|
| New York | WNBC |
| Philadelphia | WCAU |
| Chicago | WMAQ |
| Boston | WBTS |
| Washington, DC | WRC-TV |
| Miami/Ft. Lauderdale | WTVJ |
| Hartford/New Haven | WVIT |
| Dallas/Ft. Worth | KXAS |
| Los Angeles | KNBC |
| San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose | KNTV |
| San Diego | KNSD |
If you live in one of those cities, you’re in luck. To get the Olympic Channel, you must purchase the Sports add-on for $11 a month.
The add-on includes roughly ten other sports networks, such as the NFL RedZone. With Blue, that will get you just over 50 popular sports and lifestyle channels.
Sling includes a base 50-hour cloud DVR. You can upgrade to 250 hours for an additional $5 per month.
It’s possible to try the service free for three days to see if it’s a fit for your needs.
Read our Sling TV review to learn more.
6. Peacock TV
Peacock TV is the most economical choice to watch the Winter Olympics without cable. The on-demand service is an offering from NBCUniversal.
This service has original content, episodes of popular shows like The Office, and other sporting events like the Premier League and Sunday Night Football.
Peacock has two plans to select from to get content.
| Feature | Peacock Premium | Peacock Premium Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Price/Mo. | $7.99 | $13.99 |
| Price/Yr. | $79.99 | $139.99 |
| Ads | Yes | No |
| Mobile Downloads | No | Yes |
| Original Content | Yes | Yes |
| Live Sports | Yes | Yes |
| Free Trial | No | No |
You must sign up for Peacock Premium to watch Olympic coverage. The free version airs tape-delayed events and other supplemental content.
Think of it as similar to the Olympic Channel but with no live coverage. Like other digital platforms to stream content, all you need is internet service to watch Peacock TV.
It also works with similar supported devices as live TV streaming services.
Read our Peacock TV review to learn more.
Can I Watch the Winter Olympics Over-the-Air?
Yes, it is possible to watch Olympic events over-the-air. You don’t need a live TV service to watch games and matches.
It’s easy to purchase an affordable antenna on Amazon, set it up, and start watching.
However, one benefit you sacrifice is the ability to record events on a cloud DVR through a live service.
If you own a DVR and it works with your antenna, that will meet your needs.
What are the Dates for the Beijing Olympics?
The 2022 Winter Olympics schedule runs for just over two weeks. Opening ceremonies are on Friday, February 4 and the closing ceremonies are on Sunday, February 20.
In all, there are 109 events in over 15 sports. Compared to the 2021 Tokyo Olympics that had 339 events, there are far fewer events to fit within the Winter Olympic dates.
Can You Watch the Olympics Without Cable for Free?
No, it’s not possible to watch the Olympics for free. The most frugal way to watch the games is with an antenna.
If you already have an antenna, there is no additional cost. However, if you don’t have one, you will need to purchase one or subscribe to a no-contract streaming service.
Any website promoting free Olympics content is likely not trustworthy or full of spam.
What is the Beijing Olympics Schedule?
Regardless of having fewer events than the Summer Olympics, it’s vital to know when you can watch your favorite Olympic athletes.
Here is the schedule for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
| Day | Date | Events |
|---|---|---|
| Wed. | Feb. 2 | Curling |
| Thu. | Feb. 3 | Curling, Freestyle skiing, Ice hockey |
| Fri. | Feb. 4 | Opening ceremonies, Curling, Figure skating, Ice hockey |
| Sat. | Feb. 5 | Biathlon, Curling, Freestyle skiing, Ice hockey, Luge, Short track, Ski jumping, Snowboarding, Speed skating |
| Sun. | Feb. 6 | Alpine skiing, Cross-country skiing, Curling, Freestyle skiing, Ice hockey, Luge, Ski Jumping, Snowboarding, Speed skating |
| Mon. | Feb. 7 | Alpine skiing, Biathlon, Curling, Figure skating, Freestyle skating, Ice hockey, Luge, Short track, Ski jumping, Snowboarding, Speed skating |
| Tue. | Feb. 8 | Alpine skiing, Biathlon, Cross-country skiing, Curling, Figure skating, Freestyle skiing, Ice hockey, Snowboarding, Speed skating |
| Wed. | Feb. 9 | Alpine skiing, Curling, Freestyle skiing, Ice hockey, Luge, Nordic combined, Short track, Snowboarding |
| Thu. | Feb. 10 | Alpine skiing, Cross-country skiing, Curling, Figure skating, Freestyle skiing, Ice hockey, Luge, Skeleton, Snowboarding, Speed skating |
| Fri. | Feb. 11 | Alpine skiing, Biathlon, Cross-country skiing, Curling, Ice hockey, Short track, Skeleton, Ski jumping, Snowboarding, Speed skating |
| Sat. | Feb. 12 | Biathlon, Cross-country skiing, Curling, Figure skating, Ice hockey, Short track, Skeleton, Ski jumping, Snowboarding, Speed skating |
| Sun. | Feb. 13 | Alpine skiing, Biathlon, Bobsleigh, Cross-country skiing, Curling, Freestyle skiing, Ice hockey, Short track, Speed skating |
| Mon. | Feb. 14 | Bobsleigh, Curling, Figure skating, Freestyle skiing, Ice hockey, Ski jumping, Snowboarding |
| Tue. | Feb. 15 | Alpine skiing, Biathlon, Bobsleigh, Curling, Figure skiing, Freestyle skiing, Ice hockey, Nordic combined, Snowboarding, Speed skating |
| Wed. | Feb. 16 | Alpine skiing, Biathlon, Cross-country skiing, Curling, Freestyle skiing, Ice hockey, Short track |
| Thu. | Feb. 17 | Alpine skiing, Curling, Figure skating, Freestyle skiing, Ice hockey, Nordic combined, Speed skating |
| Fri. | Feb. 18 | Biathlon, Bobsleigh, Curling, Figure skating, Freestyle skiing, Ice hockey, Speed skating |
| Sat. | Feb. 19 | Alpine skiing, Biathlon, Bobsleigh, Cross-country skiing, Curling, Figure skating, Freestyle skiing, Ice hockey, Speed skating |
| Sun. | Feb. 20 | Closing ceremonies, Bobsleigh, Cross-country skiing, Curling, Figure skating, Ice hockey |
Remember that you may not be able to watch all events live. Some may be tape-delayed.
Make use of the cloud DVR with your chosen streaming service to maximize what you watch.
What is the Time Difference Between Beijing and the U.S.?
Determining what time your favorite event airs can be challenging when comparing different time zones.
Here are the time zone differences between Beijing and all the U.S. time zones.
| Time Zone | Time Difference |
|---|---|
| Eastern Standard Time | 13 hours behind Beijing |
| Central Standard Time | 14 hours behind Beijing |
| Mountain Standard Time | 15 hours behind Beijing |
| Pacific Standard Time | 16 hours behind Beijing |
| Alaska Standard Time | 17 hours behind Beijing |
| Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time | 18 hours behind Beijing |
This may mean events you want to watch will air overnight.
Bottom Line
It’s not difficult to determine where to watch the Olympics. All the content is available on NBC.
There are several reliable options to catch all of your favorite events and athletes. If you have cable, you can cut the cord and easily save at least $100 without missing any events.
What’s one channel you have that has kept you from cutting the cord on cable?
I’m John Schmoll, a former stockbroker, MBA-grad, published finance writer, and founder of Frugal Rules.
As a veteran of the financial services industry, I’ve worked as a mutual fund administrator, banker, and stockbroker and was Series 7 and 63-licensed, but I left all that behind in 2012 to help people learn how to manage their money.
My goal is to help you gain the knowledge you need to become financially independent with personally-tested financial tools and money-saving solutions.
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