How To Watch The 2016 Rio Olympics Wherever You Are; Online Live Stream, Event Schedule, TV Channels

Aug 02, 2016 09:31 PM EDT

Are you stoked that the 2016 Rio Olympics is just around the corner, and there are a few more days before the worldwide sporting event kicks off with much fanfare in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil? If you have already blocked out the dates on your calendar so that you can sit at home in front of your 4K TV to watch your favorite sporting events and cheer on your country’s athletes, then you might want to consider some other options just in case Murphy’s Law decides to kick in and you need to be off somewhere else.

Cable channels or Satellite TV packages
This is pretty much a no-brainer -- if you already own a TV (just about everyone has one of these in the living room, really) and have picked up a subscription to a cable or satellite TV package, then you can check out the 2016 Rio Olympics in the traditional method. Just flip on the telly, and go through whatever channels that are having purchased the broadcasting rights in order to check out the various events and medal tally.

NBCUniversal is said to broadcast majority of the games live across 100 of its channels and networks. This is because Rio is a mere one hour ahead of the Eastern Time zone, and you do not have to mess up your schedule too much. Some of its channels and networks that will showcase Olympic goodness include the NBC, Bravo, NBC Sports Network, and NBC Universo, among others. You will be able to check out the full range of networks that will deliver 2016 Rio Olympics action here.

Of course, there will be some of us who are running on a tight budget and if we are not too careful about our expenses, then things could get slippery before the month is over. If you happen to fall under this category at the moment, then do weigh the advantages of picking up a digital antenna in order to catch the games sans forking out a single cent more. In other words, it will be free. There is a caveat, however. The antenna is unable to provide you with more specialized channels, but at the very least you can catch the live coverage of major events via broadcast networks.

Livestream for those with a decent connection
Just in case your schedule gets shifted around and you are unable to catch Usain Bolt in the 100m finals, fret not. There is the livestream option for folks who are on the move. You can enjoy the 2016 Rio Olympics on a laptop, smartphone, tablet or computer thanks to various apps that are in the market. The NBC Sports app is one of them, but do take into consideration that you will first need to have a cable or satellite subscription in order to have the livestream coverage make its way to your device.

Alternatively, one can also sign up for Sling Blue by Sling TV. Sling Blue happens to be a package that enables one to livestream various channels that have the 2016 Rio Olympics coverage to the TV in addition to other devices. PlayStation Vue’s streaming service does streams channels that handle the 2016 Rio Olympics to your TV as well, which is another option to take a break from all of your gaming sessions.