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How to Watch the Rio 2016 Olympics Online

Whether you've cut the cord or just don't want to be tethered to a TV, watch the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics on the go.

 & Chandra Steele Senior Features Writer

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The 2016 Rio Olympics are going to be something to watch, from the unfolding controversies to the uplifting stories of athletes making their way to Brazil.

There are 19 days of Olympics viewing, from women's soccer on Aug. 3, two days before the opening ceremony to the closing ceremony on Aug. 21. Daytime programming will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., primetime 8 p.m. to midnight, late-night from 12:35 a.m. to 1:35 a.m., and replays from 1:35 a.m. to 4:30 a.m.

Despite the games bringing together competitors from around the world, coverage is not so universal. The International Olympic Committee will not show the games on its YouTube channel until they are over, but there are other options.

NBCOlympics.com has live streams, replays, and all sorts of extras, but you have to be a cable TV subscriber to access it all. NBC will again allow viewers to watch 30 minutes of video before signing in, though.

Other countries will have coverage that you won't see on NBC in the US. If you want to watch any of the over 100 broadcasters worldwide, you can use a VPN service, like Hola, but proceed at your own risk.

NBC Sports
The NBC Sports app contains coverage from NBC, NBC Sports Network, and the Golf Channel. The app is available for iOS, Android, and Windows.

Telemundo Deportes
The Telemundo Deportes app has Telemundo's coverage to go. It's available for iOS and Android.

Streaming
For watching the games from the comfort of the couch, you can use a set-top box or gaming console. The NBC Sports app works on Android TV, Apple TV, Roku, and Xbox. There is no app for Chromecast, but you can cast your browser to your TV. For PlayStation users, you have to subscribe to PlayStation Vue.

Sling
If you're a Sling Blue customer, then you get live coverage from NBC (if it's available on Sling in your area) NBCSN, Bravo, and USA. As with all Sling services, you can watch on your computer, mobile device, set-top box, and gaming console.

About Our Expert

Chandra Steele

Chandra Steele

Senior Features Writer

My Experience

My title is Senior Features Writer, which is a license to write about absolutely anything if I can connect it to technology (I can). I’ve been at PCMag since 2011 and have covered the surveillance state, vaccination cards, ghost guns, voting, ISIS, art, fashion, film, design, gender bias, and more. You might have seen me on TV talking about these topics or heard me on your commute home on the radio or a podcast. Or maybe you’ve just seen my Bernie meme

I strive to explain topics that you might come across in the news but not fully understand, such as NFTs and meme stocks. I’ve had the pleasure of talking tech with Jeff Goldblum, Ang Lee, and other celebrities who have brought a different perspective to it. I put great care into writing gift guides and am always touched by the notes I get from people who’ve used them to choose presents that have been well-received. Though I love that I get to write about the tech industry every day, it’s touched by gender, racial, and socioeconomic inequality and I try to bring these topics to light. 

Outside of PCMag, I write fiction, poetry, humor, and essays on culture.

My Areas of Expertise

  • Making incomprehensible tech news easy to understand
  • Expanding the boundaries of topics covered in the industry
  • Figuring out tips and tricks in apps and on devices and letting you know about them
  • Putting together gift guides for everyone in your life 

The Technology I Use

All that gadgets is gold for me: my iPhone 11 Pro, my fifth-generation iPad that I use only for streaming videos and music, my iPad mini 4 that I like to take with me whenever I carry a bag that can fit it, and my MacBook Pro. Why are they all different shades of gold, though? What’s going on, Apple? 

None of them quite live up to my two past loves: my LG Lotus LX600 phone and my Sony Walkman NW-E005 MP3 player. 

I've never given up wired earbuds so I was ahead of all those trend pieces. I use a Mangotek Lightning-to-3.5mm headphone jack adapter to connect them to my phone. 

I have had so many ebook readers, but I prefer paper to them all. Still, my Kindle Paperwhite is perfect for traveling or when I’m too impatient to wait for a book to be released in paperback.

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