The BBC will offer two simultaneous live streams from the Paris 2024 Olympics, the first summer games to occur in a European time zone since London 2012.
- Main coverage will alternate between BBC One and BBC Two from breakfast until evening.
- A second stream will be available on the iPlayer and Red Button service
- No free UHD coverage
- Eurosport and Discovery+ will offer full live coverage for subscribers.
From Friday 26th July until Sunday 11th August 2024, all eyes will be on Paris as the French capital hosts the next Olympic summer games.
Clare Balding, Gabby Logan, Hazel Irvine, Isa Guha, Jeanette Kwakye, JJ Chalmers and Mark Chapman (pictured) will lead the BBC’s TV coverage, which will once again be restricted to two consecutive live streams.
Coverage of the Opening Ceremony will be live on BBC One and iPlayer from 18:30 on 26th July. Daily live coverage begins in earnest on 27th July from 08:00.
This will be the second time the BBC will broadcast a restricted level of live coverage from the Olympics. The pandemic-delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics resulted in a number of complaints from viewers about the limited coverage. The reduced level of coverage may become more noticeable this time around, as much of the Tokyo Olympic action took place overnight or in the morning UK time, whereas the Paris Olympics will offer events at prime time.
Up to Rio 2016, the BBC had offered a range of extra red button feeds. However, the BBC is no longer the exclusive rights holder for the Olympics in the UK.
▶ READ MORE UK Olympic TV broadcast rights explained…
How to watch free-to-air 2024 Olympics coverage in the UK
The BBC will offer free-to-air viewers two options:
- BBC One/BBC Two: main feed of all the main events live, plus highlights and clips from other events. Coverage will alternate between the two channels throughout the day and evening.
- BBC Red Button/BBC iPlayer: the BBC offers an alternative feed, available as “Olympics Extra” on the BBC iPlayer and also broadcast via the traditional BBC Red Button service – BBC RB 1 – on Freeview 601, Sky satellite & Freesat channel 970, Virgin Media 991.
Joining the BBC Sport presenters are a stellar line up of studio guests including Beth Tweddle, Chris Hoy, Denise Lewis, Fred Sirieix, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Kate Richardson-Walsh, Katherine Grainger, Laura Kenny, Mark Foster, Michael Johnson, Nicola Adams, Rebecca Adlington and Tonia Couch, who will all share their analysis and expertise.
A daily highlights show will air straight after the BBC News at 10 from 22:40 to midnight on BBC One.
No free UHD coverage
To the disappointment of sports fans, the BBC hasn’t confirmed any 4K UHD coverage via the iPlayer, unlike the broadcaster’s coverage of Wimbledon and Glastonbury.
Eurosport and Discovery+ will offer a 4K UHD option to subscribers.
The situation is in stark contrast to what viewers in France can experience: here two free-to-air UHD channels with coverage will be offered through France’s version of Freeview (digital terrestrial television), known as ‘TNT’.
Other BBC coverage
The BBC will also offer comprehensive live audio coverage from the 2024 Olympics on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC World Service English. Stream live via BBC Sounds.
The BBC Sport website and app will have live text commentary, highlights videos and clips.
For the 2024 Olympics, the BBC is sublicensing the rights from Warner Bros Discovery.
Warner Bros Discovery will have full live coverage for subscribers
Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) is once again the main UK broadcast rights holder for the Olympics.
As a result, Eurosport will have comprehensive coverage for Sky, Virgin Media and EE TV users, with extra pop-up channels. Discovery+ will be the place for every live televised moment of the Olympics.
Olympic coverage is available via the Discovery+ standard plan (£6.99 a month; offered to Sky Q, Glass and Stream users at no extra cost). Subscribers to the Discovery+ Premium plan, which includes TNT Sports (£30.99 a month), also get full access to the Olympics.
By: Marc Thornham | Image: BBC/Sam Riley