Olympic Basketball 2024: When and How to Watch From Anywhere

The 2024 Summer Olympics commence in Paris on Friday with the opening ceremony, and Olympic basketball tips off a day later on Saturday. Twelve teams have qualified for the men’s Olympic tournament headlined by Team USA, which is made up of a dozen NBA stars, including LeBron James, Steph Curry and Anthony Edwards. Team USA begins its Olympic gold medal defense — the US has won gold in the past four Olympics, dating back to the 2008 Beijing Games — on Sunday against Serbia.

The US women have been even more dominant, winning gold in every Olympics since the 1996 Games in Atlanta. They’ll be seeking their eighth straight Olympic title, starting with their first game on Monday, July 29 against Japan.

While Peacock is the best way to stream the 2024 Olympic games, you can watch much of the Olympics across NBC’s family of channels — NBC, USA Network, E!, CNBC and Golf Channel — with cable or satellite TV or a live TV streaming service. 

How to watch Olympic basketball

If you’re looking to watch all of the basketball at the 2024 Olympics in the US, you’ll want Peacock. Even after a recent price hike, which raises the monthly charge from $6 to $8, Peacock is one of the most affordable streaming services. With it, you can watch any event live; NBC states Peacock will stream 5,000 hours of live coverage throughout the Games, including all 329 medal events and, crucially, every game of both the men’s and women’s basketball events.

In addition to live-streaming each event, Peacock will have a whip-around show, Gold Zone, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET (4 a.m. to 2 p.m. PT) each day. If you’re watching an event on Gold Zone that you’re really into, you can continue to watch it even if Gold Zone cuts away to something else. Peacock will display Live Action on-screen prompts that will let you stay with the event or follow Gold Zone’s coverage.

Peacock will also have four multiview options that will let you watch four events at once. You’ll be able to watch NBC’s nightly Primetime in Paris show on Peacock, and Peacock will have its own daily recap show “hosted” by AI Al Michaels.

Peacock offers two Premium plans, and each costs $2 more a month than it did last week. After the recent price increases, the ad-supported Premium plan will cost $8 a month, and the ad-free Premium plan will costs $14 a month. You can use either Premium plan to watch the Olympics.

Read our Peacock review.

Where are the 2024 Olympic Basketball games being held?

For both the men and women, the group stage games will be played about 2.5 hours north of Paris in Lille, France. The knockout rounds from the quarterfinals to the gold medal game will be played at Bercy Arena in Paris.

Which countries are competing in Olympic Basketball?

A dozen teams will go for hoops gold for both the men and women. In each case, the 12 teams are divided into three groups of four. Each team will play the other three teams in its group and the top two teams in each group will advance to the knockout round along with the two best third-place finishers.

Here are the groups:

When does the 2024 Olympic Basketball events start and end?

Men’s basketball starts on Saturday, July 27 and ends with the gold medal game on Saturday, Aug. 10. The women’s event runs from Sunday, July 28 to Sunday, Aug. 11.

A full list of games for the men’s event and the US women can be found at the foot of this page. 

What’s the time difference between Paris and the US?

Paris is 6 hours ahead of New York and the rest of the Eastern time zone. It’s 7 hours ahead of the Central time zone, 8 hours ahead of Mountain time and 9 hours ahead of Pacific time.

This difference means that most events will be shown live in the morning and afternoon for US viewers.

Who’s on Team USA?

It’s a team of NBA stars.

Guards

• Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
• Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns)
• Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves)
• Jrue Holiday (Boston Celtics)
• Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers)
• Derrick White (Boston Celtics)

Forwards

• LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers)
• Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns)
• Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)

Centers

• Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)
• Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers)
• Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat)

Which NBA stars are playing for other nations?

Most notably, Victor Wembanyama is playing for the host nation. The 7-foot-4-inch sensation from France was the first pick in the 2023 NBA draft and lived up to his billing. Playing for the San Antonio Spurs, Wembanyama averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.6 blocks a game and was named the Rookie of the Year this past season. Team France will not be lacking in size with the 7-foot-1-inch Rudy Gobert also in the lineup. Gobert is a three-time NBA All Star and has been named NBA Defensive Player of the Year four times.

Canada will field 11 NBA players, led by guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jamal Murray. Germany is also fields a deep team led by Franz and Mo Wagner, and Dennis Schroeder.

Greece and Serbia are more one-man shows with recent NBA champions with multiple league MVP awards at the center of their efforts. Three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic who won the 2023 NBA title with the Denver Nuggets leads Serbia, and two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo who won the 2021 NBA title with the Milwaukee Bucks leads Greece.

Do I need Peacock to watch Olympic Basketball in the US?

Nope, you can watch select games on TV, but Peacock will give you access to every game in both tournaments.

In the US, you need five TV channels for the Olympics: NBC, USA Network, E!, CNBC and Golf Channel. USA Network will show US team sports, including basketball. 

NBC will broadcast its Primetime in Paris show each evening in the US. Mike Tirico hosts the show, which includes reports from Snoop Dogg. 

What’s the best live TV streaming service for the Olympics?

Sling TV is the most affordable option if you live in one of the few markets where it offers NBC. Failing that, YouTube TV is the best service for the Olympics because its base plan, which costs $73, offers all five channels you’ll need. 

If Sling takes a conditional gold medal and YouTube TV gets the silver among live TV streaming services for watching the Olympics, then Hulu with Live TV is awarded the bronze. It costs only $4 more per month than YouTube TV and includes all five channels for watching the Olympics.

Read more: Best Sports Streaming Service for 2024

With a live TV streaming subscription (or cable-satellite plan), you’ll be able to authenticate yourself as a paying TV subscriber to watch live streams of every event on NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, the NBC app or the NBC Olympics app. That’s a great option if you don’t want to sign up for Peacock and want to pick and choose which events to watch.

Sling TV’s $40-a-month Blue plan includes NBC, USA Network and E!. You can add CBNC for an extra $6 a month and the Golf Channel for another $11 a month. Even with those add-ons, Sling TV is the cheapest way to get all five channels for the Olympics — provided you live in one of the few markets where Sling offers NBC.

Read our Sling TV review.

YouTube TV costs $73 a month and includes NBC, USA Network, E!, CNBC and Golf Channel. Plug in your ZIP code on its welcome page to confirm which local networks are available in your area.

Read our YouTube TV review.

Hulu with Live TV costs $77 a month and includes NBC, USA Network, E!, CNBC and Golf Channel. Click the “View channels in your area” link on its welcome page to confirm which local channels are offered in your ZIP code.

Read our Hulu with Live TV review.

All of the live TV streaming services above allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. For more information, check out our live TV streaming services guide.

How to watch Olympics Basketball from anywhere with a VPN

If you find yourself unable to view Olympics basketball locally, you may need a different way to watch the games — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.

With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.

Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.

Latest Tests DNS leaks detected, 25% speed loss in 2024 testsNetwork 3,000 plus servers in 105 countriesJurisdiction British Virgin Islands

ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It’s normally $13 a month, but if you sign up for an annual subscription for $100 you’ll get three months free and save 49%. That’s the equivalent of $6.67 a month with code SPECIALDEAL, which should be automatically applied.

Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Livestream the 2024 Olympic Basketball in the UK

The BBC will broadcast the 2024 Games on its free-to-air channels, but coverage is limited to BBC One and BBC Two. You can also live stream all the action from Paris on the BBC iPlayer. 

The BBC promises more than 250 hours of live coverage of the Olympics across the two channels, but not every match of the men’s and women’s basketball events is set to be shown. For those in the UK wanting more comprehensive coverage of both tournaments, as well as the Olympics as a whole, Discovery Plus is where it’s at, which is offering 3,800 hours of live coverage across 55 dedicated online channels.  

A subscription to Discovery Plus in the UK costs £7 per month or £60 for the year.

The service is available on a wide array of devices, and also includes access to all Eurosport TV channels.

Livestream the 2024 Olympic Basketball in Australia

Aussies can watch Olympic basketball on the Nine Network. The Network will have select live coverage of the Olympics, and you can watch on-demand highlights on the network’s streaming service 9Now.

Meanwhile, pay-TV service Stan Sport will show all 329 Olympic events ad-free and in 4K Ultra HD. 

Livestream the 2024 Olympic Basketball in Canada

In Canada, the Games will be broadcast on TV channels CBC, TSN and Sportsnet. They will be shown on the free CBC Gem streaming service also.

Quick tips for streaming the 2024 Olympics Basketball using a VPN 

• With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming the Olympic basketball live may vary.
• If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
• If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
• All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help since both devices will appear to be in the correct location. 
• Remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.

2024 Olympic Men’s Basketball: Full Schedule

GROUP STAGE

Saturday, July 27

• Australia vs. Spain (11 a.m. CET / 10 a.m. BST / 5 a.m. ET / 2 a.m. PT / 7 p.m. AEST)
• Germany vs. Japan (1:30 p.m. CET / 12:30 p.m. BST / 7:30 a.m. ET / 4:30 a.m. PT / 9:30 p.m.) AEST)
• France vs. Brazil (5:15 p.m. CET / 4:15 p.m. BST / 11:15 a.m. ET / 8:15 a.m. PT / 1:15 a.m. Sunday AEST) 
• Greece vs. Canada (9 p.m. CET / 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 5 a.m. Sunday AEST)

Sunday, July 28

• South Sudan vs. Puerto Rico (11 a.m. CET / 10 a.m. BST / 5 a.m. ET / 2 a.m. PT / 7 p.m. AEST)
• Serbia vs. United States (5:15 p.m. CET / 4:15 p.m. BST / 11:15 a.m. ET / 8:15 a.m. PT / 1:15 a.m. Monday AEST) 

Tuesday, July 30

• Spain vs. Greece (11 a.m. CET / 10 a.m. BST / 5 a.m. ET / 2 a.m. PT / 7 p.m. AEST)
• Canada vs. Australia (1:30 p.m. CET / 12:30 p.m. BST / 7:30 a.m. ET / 4:30 a.m. PT / 9:30 p.m.) AEST)
• Japan vs. France (5:15 p.m. CET / 4:15 p.m. BST / 11:15 a.m. ET / 8:15 a.m. PT / 1:15 a.m. Sunday AEST) 
• Brazil vs. Germany (9 p.m. CET / 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 5 a.m. Wednesday AEST)

Wednesday, July 31

• Puerto Rico vs. Serbia (5:15 p.m. CET / 4:15 p.m. BST / 11:15 a.m. ET / 8:15 a.m. PT / 1:15 a.m. Sunday AEST) 
• United States vs. South Sudan (9 p.m. CET / 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 5 a.m. Thursday AEST)

Friday, August 2

• Australia vs. Greece (1:30 p.m. CET / 12:30 p.m. BST / 7:30 a.m. ET / 4:30 a.m. PT / 9:30 p.m.) AEST)
• Canada vs. Spain (5:15 p.m. CET / 4:15 p.m. BST / 11:15 a.m. ET / 8:15 a.m. PT / 1:15 a.m. Sunday AEST) 
• Japan vs. Brazil (11 a.m. CET / 10 a.m. BST / 5 a.m. ET / 2 a.m. PT / 7 p.m. AEST)
• France vs. Germany (9 p.m. CET / 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 5 a.m. Saturday AEST)

Saturday, August 3

• Puerto Rico vs. United States (5:15 p.m. CET / 4:15 p.m. BST / 11:15 a.m. ET / 8:15 a.m. PT / 1:15 a.m. Sunday AEST) 
• Serbia vs. South Sudan (9 p.m. CET / 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 5 a.m. Sunday AEST)

KNOCKOUT STAGE

Tuesday, August 6

• Quarterfinal (11 a.m. CET / 10 a.m. BST / 5 a.m. ET / 2 a.m. PT / 7 p.m. AEST)
• Quarterfinal  (2:30 p.m. CET / 1:30 p.m. BST / 8:30 a.m. ET / 5:30 a.m. PT / 10:30 p.m.)
• Quarterfinal (6 p.m. CET / 5 p.m. BST / 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT / 2 a.m. Wednesday AEST)
• Quarterfinal (9:30 p.m. CET / 8:30 p.m. BST / 3:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. PT / 5:30 a.m. Wednesday AEST)

Thursday, August 8

• Semifinal (5:30 p.m. CET / 4:30 p.m. BST / 11:30 a.m. ET / 8:30 a.m. PT / 1:30 a.m. Sunday AEST) 
• Semifinal (9 p.m. CET / 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 5 a.m. Friday AEST)

Saturday, August 10

• Bronze Medal Game (11 a.m. CET / 10 a.m. BST / 5 a.m. ET / 2 a.m. PT / 7 p.m. AEST)
• Gold Medal Game (9:30 p.m. CET / 8:30 p.m. BST / 3:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. PT / 5:30 a.m. Sunday AEST)

Team USA Women’s Basketball Olympic Schedule

Monday, July 29

• United States vs. Japan (9 p.m. CET / 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 5 a.m. Tuesday AEST)

Thursday, Aug. 1

• United States vs. Belgium(9 p.m. CET / 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 5 a.m. Friday AEST) 

Sunday, Aug. 4

• United States vs. Germany (5:15 p.m. CET / 4:15 p.m. BST / 11:15 a.m. ET / 8:15 a.m. PT / 1:15 a.m. Monday AEST) 

Knockout Stage

• Wednesday, Aug. 7: Quarterfinals
• Friday, Aug. 9: Semifinals
• Sunday, Aug. 11: Gold and Bronze Medal Games