The 2021 Olympics are starting tonight and while they’re going to be different to anything we’ve seen before, that doesn’t mean we won’t be glued to our television screens. This could be a great Olympics for Australia as the experts are saying we could pick up our highest medal tally since 2008. So, here’s a few things you need to know about watching the Olympics here over the next two weeks.
This Youtube video of the Opening Ceremony has been watched by one million people so far!
First Olympic race – just in case you missed it.
Tally so far:
All you need to know in a few minutes…
In the US, you can watch the Olympics being screened via NBC here.
In Australia, Network Seven has exclusive broadcasting rights and coverage will be spread across three of the network’s channels – channel 7, 7TWO and 7mate. It will also be streamed online via 7plus and the network will host a 24/7 live stream covering all the games and commentary around the clock. Thankfully, all of these services are free.
If you don’t have free-to-air, 7plus can be accessed via an app on AppleTV or Chromecast from a laptop. 7plus will require a login that just takes an email address and a few personal details. Channel 7’s coverage will start every weekday at 5:30am and 6am on weekends, finishing after midnight AEST.
The Opening Ceremony will officially open in Tokyo on Friday night at 8.30pm AEST, July 23 – and it will run for three hours. The games will then close at 9pm AEST on August 8th. Tokyo is just one hour behind Australia’s East Coast time zones and just two hours ahead of the West Coast so this makes the times ideal viewing for Australians with no getting up in the middle of the night to cheer on our athletes.
What sports are in the Tokyo Olympics?
This year’s Olympics will feature 33 sports across 339 events, including four new sports: karate, surfing, skateboarding and sport climbing. Baseball and softball are also returning to the Olympics since being dropped after the 2008 Beijing Games. Australia is competing in 33 sports at Tokyo, including all four new Olympic sports.
The Paralympics will kick off just over two weeks after the Olympics Closing Ceremony. Channel 7 is also hosting these Games and will be showing them across the network as well as online. The Paralympics Opening Ceremony is set to start on August 24th and will close two weeks later on September 5th.
Who to watch in the Olympics?
Simone Biles is one of the most highly awarded gymnast.
You can watch the 2021 Olympic Games on Channel 7, 7TWO and 7mate plus the events will be all be streamed live on 7plus…