Three Ways to Stream The 2016 Rio Summer Olympics
Can you hear it? The kettledrums, and then the brass section that leads into the unmistakable song associated with the Olympics. Can you feel it? The pride of the athletes wearing their country colors, and the excitement as spectators from around the world come together to cheer for their favorite competitors. There’s nothing quite like the 28-sport, 300-event 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Whether you plan to watch Michael Phelps attempt to break his own records or watch 4,500 hours of Olympic action on NBCOlympics.com, you’re going to need a few things—like a tv subscription or an Internet connection.
Here are the best options for streaming the excitement.
Stream The Olympics With Your TV Subscription
Olympic coverage is broadcast on NBC, so if you already subscribe to a tv provider, flip to your local NBC station. You can also watch Olympic events on NBC affiliates such as Bravo, CNBC, MSNBC, the Golf Channel, or the NBC Sports Network.
Stuck at the office? On the road? You can stream the Olympics on your iOS or Android devices. Simply download the NBC Sports app, log in with your tv provider credentials, and start watching the Olympics. You can also download the NBC Sports app for AppleTV, Roku, and XBox.
Take note: the NBC Sports app uses your tv provider credentials for authentication, regardless of device.
Streaming The Summer Olympics Without A TV Subscription
Technology has advanced considerably since the last summer Olympics, giving you a few solid options if you don’t have a tv subscription. You will need an Internet connection, however.
The simple way is to stream the Olympics through NBCOlympics.com, but you may not have a smart TV. Don’t fret. There are two other alternatives: Sling TV and Sony Playstation Vue.
Sling TV is a subscription service that lets you stream live TV on your iOS and Android devices, as well as to your TV through Apple TV, Roku, XBox One, Chromecast, and Amazon Fire TV. Plus, their Blue package comes with all the channels that cover the Olympics.
Sony PlayStation Vue is similar to Sling TV, but it only works on your TV. The difference, however, is that you can use your Vue credentials to log into the NBC Sports app.
Streaming The Olympics in VR
For some, simply watching the Olympics isn’t enough—they want to be a part of the event, not just an observer. And now, for the first time, you can watch the Olympics in virtual reality. Yes, that’s right, virtual reality. NBC has partnered with Samsung to stream some Olympic events in VR with a 360-degree view. The listed proceedings include the Opening and Closing ceremonies, track and field events, gymnastics, diving, and boxing. Keep in mind that VR content will only be available the day after the events.
So, what exactly is VR? According to the BBC, VR fills the user’s perspective with surrounding views of stitched-together videos that move as you, the user, move your head around. Think of it like Facebook’s 360 images. You get a better sense of the surrounding area, and with VR, it will feel more like you’re at the Olympics.
There’s a little bit more involved to stream the Olympics in VR, as you need Gear VR, and a compatible Samsung smartphone. If you have the gear and compatible smartphone, just download the NBC Sports app, log in with your tv provider credentials, and follow these steps from NBC to access Olympic streaming in VR.
Originally Appeared on the West Frontier media blog
