How to watch the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony | CNN (2024)

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By Matias Grez, CNN

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Updated 4:59 AM EDT, Fri July 26, 2024

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How to watch the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony | CNN (1)

Boats and cast members rehearse on the River Seine for the Opening Ceremony of Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 24.

CNN

Paris 2024 will truly feature an Olympics Opening Ceremony like no other. Here’s everything you need to know about this unique celebration.

How to watch the Opening Ceremony

The Opening Ceremony for the Paris Summer Games will begin at 7:30 p.m. local time (1:30 p.m. ET) on Friday, July 26, as the first boats depart from the Austerlitz bridge.

It will be available to view in the US on NBC and on will also be streaming on Peacock.

A unique festival on the water

For the first time in Summer Games history, it will be held outside of a stadium. Instead, athletes will this year parade down the city’s famous River Seine on boats.

Going east to west through the city, 10,500 athletes on 94 boats will be ferried down a six-kilometer (roughly 3.7 miles) route that ends in front of the famous Trocadéro, opposite the Eiffel Tower, where the rest of the Opening Ceremony shows will take place, such as the lighting of the Olympic cauldron and the official opening speech from French President Emmanuel Macron.

The boats will pass some of Paris’ most iconic landmarks, including the Louvre and Notre-Dame.

Each boat will also have a camera on board so viewers can feel as if they’re amongst the action with their favorite athletes.

The nations with bigger athlete delegations will have their own boats, while those with a smaller number of athletes will share.

There will be 80 big screens up across the city and “strategically placed speakers,” organizers said, to allow as many fans as possible to watch the event.

Police officers patrol on the Trocadero square in front of the Olympic rings displayed on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic games in Paris, France, June 7, 2024. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters Related article The Olympic Games face a unique set of potential security threats in Paris. Organizers say everyone will be safe

Fortunately for organizers, hundreds of dancers that were threatening to disrupt the Opening Ceremony over pay have called off strike action after reaching an agreement with Paris 2024, according to their union.

On Monday, some 220 dancers stopped a rehearsal along the banks of the Seine to protest inequalities in pay and housing conditions between the dancers.

A representative for the union previously told CNN that the ceremony was “in danger.”

In total, there will be 400 dancers involved and dancers on every bridge along the route.

French theatre director and actor Thomas Jolly is leading the Opening Ceremony and said earlier this year he wants to showcase all of France’s cultures.

“I was overwhelmed at first. I wondered how I could create a show where everyone can feel represented as part of this great union,” he told AP.

“This responsibility was ambitious, complex, but magnificent for an artist.”

How to watch the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony | CNN (4)

No one has won more Olympic medals than swimmer Michael Phelps, and it's not even close. The American won 28 medals — 23 of them gold — over four Olympic Games. Here, South African swimmer Chad Le Clos glances at Phelps during the Olympic final of the 200-meter butterfly in 2016. Phelps won the race for his 20th career gold, avenging one of the few losses of his Olympic career — a second-place finish to Le Clos in 2012.

How to watch the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony | CNN (5)

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt looks back at his Olympic competitors during a 100-meter semifinal in 2016. Bolt won the final a short time later, becoming the first man in history to win the 100 meters at three straight Olympic Games. Bolt, the world-record holder in the 100 and 200 meters, won eight gold medals during his legendary Olympic career.

How to watch the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony | CNN (6)

Nadia Comaneci became the first gymnast in Olympic history to score a perfect 10 in an event — and she did it seven times at the 1976 Olympics. The Romanian, who collected three golds in Montreal, finished with three 10s on the balance beam and four on the uneven bars.

How to watch the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony | CNN (7)

American athletes Tommie Smith, center, and John Carlos raise their fists and hang their heads while the US National Anthem plays during their medal ceremony at the 1968 Summer Games in Mexico City. Their gesture became front-page news around the world as a symbol of the struggle for civil rights. To their left stood Australian Peter Norman, who expressed his support by wearing an Olympic Project for Human Rights badge.

How to watch the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony | CNN (8)

American high jumper Dick Fosbury clears the bar on the way to winning Olympic gold in 1968. His back-first jumping style revolutionized the sport, and the "Fosbury Flop" is now used by almost everyone who competes in the event.

How to watch the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony | CNN (9)

US gymnast Kerri Strug injured her ankle on her second-to-last vault during the team competition at the 1996 Summer Games. But with a gold medal in the balance, she still had to go once more and land on her feet. She did just that, clinching victory and making her an American hero.

How to watch the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony | CNN (10)

US track star Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the 1936 Summer Games, which took place in Berlin during the rule of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany. Hitler wanted the Games to showcase what he believed to be the racial superiority of white Aryan athletes, but Owens spoiled that idea and became a cultural icon.

How to watch the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony | CNN (11)

Michael Jordan soars for a dunk during the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. Jordan was a part of the "Dream Team," the US men's basketball team that was the first to include NBA stars. Many consider that team, which included Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and many other future Hall of Famers, to be the greatest sports team ever assembled.

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Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina won six medals in the 1964 Summer Games, giving her a then-record 18 medals — nine of them gold — over three Olympics. Only Michael Phelps has won more Olympic medals.

How to watch the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony | CNN (13)

Before Michael Phelps, there was Mark Spitz. Spitz, seen here on the shoulders of American teammates Tom Bruce and Mike Stamm, won seven swimming events at the 1972 Summer Games in Munich, Germany. It was the most golds won at one Olympics until Phelps won eight in 2008.

How to watch the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony | CNN (14)

It was the thud heard 'round the world. At the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, all eyes were on American diver Greg Louganis, who had been one of the stars of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. He had wowed viewers with his strength and grace, and as he stepped up to the diving board four years later, nothing less was expected. Instead, he hit his head on the board in the middle of a complicated dive. He would go on to win the event's gold medal. But for a moment, America held its collective breath.

How to watch the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony | CNN (15)

American sprinter Florence Griffith Joyner, aka "Flo-Jo," dominated the 100 and 200 meters at the 1988 Summer Games. She set a world record in the 200 (21.34 seconds) that still stands today. Her Olympic record in the 100 meters (10.62 seconds) was just off the world record she set a couple months earlier. That record (10.49 seconds) still stands today as well.

How to watch the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony | CNN (16)

Muhammad Ali rose to prominence at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, where he claimed a gold medal in the light-heavyweight division. The story goes that when he returned to a hometown parade, even with the medal around his neck, he was refused service in a segregated restaurant because of his race. According to several reports, he threw the medal into a river out of anger. The story is disputed by people who say Ali misplaced the medal. Thirty-six years later, he was given a replacement medal and asked to light the cauldron at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, something he said was one of the greatest honors in his athletic career.

How to watch the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony | CNN (17)

During the 1972 Olympics, the second-place podium remained empty as the US basketball team protested the decision to give the gold to the Soviet Union. The Soviets won on a controversial last-second play after the officials gave them another chance to inbound the ball and score.

How to watch the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony | CNN (18)

Michael Johnson and his flashy gold shoes set a new world record in the 200 meters, finishing in 19.32 seconds in 1996. The American also added gold in the 400 meters that year.

How to watch the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony | CNN (19)

US swimmer Katie Ledecky was one of the biggest stars of 2016, winning five Olympic golds and setting two world records — one in the 400-meter freestyle and one in the 800-meter freestyle. She was the first swimmer since 1968 to win the 200-, 400- and 800-meter freestyles at the same Olympics. Here, Ledecky obliterates the field in the 800-meter final. She won by 11.38 seconds.

How to watch the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony | CNN (20)

American long jumper Bob Beamon obliterated the world record by more than 21 inches in 1968, leaping an astonishing 9 feet, 2 1/2 inches (8.90 meters). Beamon was so stunned by the distance that he collapsed to the ground in what doctors later diagnosed as a cataplectic seizure brought on by nervous excitement. The record stood until 1991.

How to watch the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony | CNN (21)

Rulon Gardner, a Greco-Roman wrestler for the United States, made history in 2000 when he defeated Russia's Aleksandr Karelin in the gold-medal match of the 130-kilogram (287-pound) weight class. Karelin, the gold medalist in 1988, 1992 and 1996, had not lost a match in 13 years.

How to watch the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony | CNN (22)

Ethiopian runner Abebe Bikila became the first Black African to win Olympic gold when he won the marathon in world-record time in 1960. And he did it in his bare feet, just the way he had trained.

Iconic moments from Summer Olympics history

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How to watch the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony | CNN (2024)

FAQs

How to watch the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony | CNN? ›

The Opening Ceremony for the Paris Summer Games

Summer Games
The 2024 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad and branded as Paris 2024, is an international multi-sport event taking place from 24 July to 11 August 2024 in France, with the opening ceremony having taken place on 26 July.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › 2024_Summer_Olympics
will begin at 7:30 p.m. local time (1:30 p.m. ET) on Friday, July 26, as the first boats depart from the Austerlitz bridge. It will be available to view in the US on NBC and on will also be streaming on Peacock.

Where can I watch the full Olympics opening ceremony replay? ›

Waking up early or suffering through NBC's overly produced segments are all well and good ways to get your Olympic fix, but the best way to watch these events isn't live or on NBC's official primetime broadcast. It's actually the low-key, full-length replays available on its Peacock streaming service.

How do I watch the opening ceremony if I missed it? ›

How to Rewatch the Opening Ceremony

NBC will be airing the Opening Ceremony coverage again the same day during their 7:30 p.m. EST/6:30 p.m. CST primetime slot. They've set aside 4 hours for the broadcast. The prime time airing of the Opening Ceremony will also be available to stream on Peacock.

How to watch opening ceremony replay? ›

9Now is free to use but does require a sign up and can only be accessed by Australian IPs. A replay of the opening ceremony can also be watched via Nine Network's subscription streaming platform Stan Sport. Both 9Now and Stan Sport will show every Olympics event via their platforms.

Where can I watch the opening ceremony in Paris online? ›

Stream the Summer Olympics on Peacock

The streaming service says it will broadcast all Summer Olympics events, the opening and closing ceremonies, in addition to replays and even documentaries.

Can I watch the Olympics opening ceremony on Hulu? ›

The Opening Ceremony will broadcast live on NBC, which is also available on live TV streamers such as DirecTV, Sling TV, Fubo TV and Hulu + Live TV — all currently offering free trials.

Can I watch the opening ceremony on Peacock? ›

How can you watch the opening ceremony? NBC will have 40 cameras capturing the action in Paris, and live coverage begins at noon ET. The ceremony will be broadcast on TV and streamed in digital format on NBC, Peacock and NBC Olympics.

Where can I watch the Olympics 2024 opening ceremony for free? ›

Where to Watch the 2024 Summer Olympics. The Olympic games will broadcast live on NBC and stream on Peacock from July 26-Aug. 11. Olympics coverage will also air on USA Network — including men's volleyball, water polo and fencing.

What time are the opening ceremonies replay? ›

Will the opening ceremony be replayed? NBC will have a prime-time replay of Friday's opening ceremony. Coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. ET. Mike Tirico hosts the broadcast, along with Kelly Clarkson and Peyton Manning.

How to watch Olympics live online for free? ›

If you don't have Cable, the Games are running on Peacock, which requires a subscription to watch them. There isn't a way to watch Olympic sports for free online, but here are some ways you could possibly catch the games without having to get a subscription or dig into your wallet.

How to see the Olympics for free? ›

How can I watch the 2024 Olympics for free? You won't be able to watch every event, but NBC's broadcast channel is the heart of the network's coverage. The best way to watch that for free on a big screen is with a good HD antenna.

How long does the opening ceremony go for? ›

Top moments from the 2024 Olympics opening ceremony:

Despite rain, the roughly four-hour 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony went off without a hitch. Athletes arrived via boat and cruised down the Seine for the Parade of Nations.

What time is the opening ceremony on Channel 9? ›

be broadcast on Channel 9 from 1pm on Saturday, July 27. It will also be available on 9Now.

How can I stream the Olympics opening ceremony? ›

How can I watch the opening ceremony? The ceremony will air on NBC and stream on Peacock and NBC Olympic platforms — NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, NBC app, NBC Olympics app.

What channel is the opening ceremony for the Olympics on? ›

The opening ceremony will be shown live on BBC One with coverage starting at 5.45pm BST. The coverage can also be streamed live via the BBC Sport and BBC iPlayer website and app. If you're travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app.

Can I watch the Olympics on Peacock? ›

NBC will air two daily Olympics shows, one that coincides with Paris' prime time (from 2:00 p.m. ET through 5:00 p.m. ET) and another in traditional U.S. prime time, which will show highlights. You can also watch live on Peacock.

Where can you watch Olympic replays? ›

EVERY OLYMPIC EVENT STREAMED LIVE AND FREE WITH REPLAYS AND EVERY BIG AUSTRALIAN MOMENT ON 9NOW .

Where can I watch the Olympic medal ceremony? ›

Watch the 2024 Paris Olympics on NBC and streaming on Peacock, July 26 - Aug 11.

Where can I watch the Olympic Games full? ›

Every event at the 2024 Paris Olympics will be aired live across NBC, USA Network, E!, CNBC, GOLF Channel, and there will be a Spanish broadcast on Universo and Telemundo. All events will be available to stream live on Peacock and NBCOlympics.com. 2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count?

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