How to Watch 2021 Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony Live and Without Cable

Some Olympic sports like soccer have already kicked off in Tokyo, but the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games don't officially start until the Opening Ceremony, which sees each of the participating countries' Olympic teams come together in a grand celebration before duking it out for gold medals.

For the 2021 games, the Opening Ceremony will take place on Friday, July 23 at 8 p.m. JST, which is 7 a.m. ET/4 a.m. PT if you are stateside. If you are a cable subscriber then you can tune into NBC for its coverage, which will begin at 6:55 a.m. ET. This is the first year that NBC is doing live morning coverage of an Olympic Opening Ceremony, but if you would prefer not to wake up that early, NBC will be rebroadcasting the ceremony at 7:30 p.m. ET. Just make sure to avoid social media if you don't want to be spoiled on the spectacle. 

For the streamers out there, you can watch the Olympic Flame being lit and more by checking out the NBC Sports App or logging onto the NBC Olympics website. NBC's streaming service Peacock will also be a main hub of Olympics coverage, showcasing "must-see moments" from the opening and closing ceremonies as well as some of the competition. NBC is also available on OTT services like Hulu-with Live TV and Fubo, which come with 7-day free trials and will allow you to watch the ceremony, but cost $65/mo. if you choose to stay on as a subscriber.

For more Olympics coverage, check out TV Guide's complete Olympics schedule organized by sport, or Cord Cutters News' full schedule organized by daily events.