The 2022 Winter Olympics is officially here, following the success of the opening ceremony in Beijing, China on February 4. The ceremony itself began February 3, 6:50 PM Eastern time, while the Winter Games started two days before the opening ceremony.
The first curling competitions, freestyle skiing, and ice hockey have already been discussed. Until February 20, the Olympians will compete for the gold, silver, and bronze medals.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, only Chinese spectators are physically welcome. Fortunately, fans from other countries can follow the Olympic athletes closely via live television broadcasts and online streaming. Sports enthusiasts can enjoy ice skating, cross-country skiing, bobsleighing, curling, snowboarding, and many more sports while rooting for their home countries.
In this article, we’ll explain how to stream the 2022 Winter Olympics opening ceremony live or via replays anywhere in the world.
Where Can I Watch the Opening Ceremony of the 2022 Olympic Games?
The opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games will take place on Friday, February 3 at 6:50 pm Eastern time.
The broadcasting rights of the Olympic Games belong to Discovery and NBC. Eurosport, NBC Sports, and streaming provider, Peacock all have the right to broadcast the Olympic Games. Below you will find an overview of where you can watch the Winter Games:
| REGION | STREAM | PAID OR FREE |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 7Plus | Free |
| Canada | CBC | Free |
| Europe | Eurosport | Free |
| Netherlands | NPO Start | Free |
| United Kingdom | BBC iPlayer | Free – Requires a British postal code to sign up |
| United States | Peacock | Paid, but available for a free trial of Peacock |
| United States | NBC Sports |
Free |
In some countries, you can watch the Olympic Games on television or online without any problem. However, there are some countries without Olympics broadcasters, or — if you’re abroad — you may not have access to your normal streams.
Whether you’re watching the Olympic Games opening ceremony while traveling or you’re currently in a country without local coverage, you can still enjoy all of the action. If you use a virtual private network, you can watch the Olympic Games from anywhere in the world.
How Do I Watch the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony Online?
If you can’t access the 2022 Winter Olympics live through a local broadcaster, there is another option: streaming the Olympics Opening Ceremony online.
If you don’t have a local broadcaster due to broadcasting rights, you can use a VPN to get around geo-restrictions. Geo-restrictions are put in place to limit who can watch certain content. Websites figure out which country you’re in by looking at your IP address. So if a stream is exclusive to the US but you have an IP address pointing to Australia, then you won’t be able to watch that stream at all.
Fortunately, you can change your IP address with the help of a VPN. Your internet traffic is then redirected through a server in a different country. So even if you’re in Australia, as long as you connect to a US server using a VPN, you’ll be able to watch any US-exclusive streams.
Stream the 2022 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony with a VPN
With the help of the step-by-step plan below, you can get access to any of the Winter Olympics streams mentioned above.
- Choose a reliable and quality VPN provider, and sign up for a subscription. We recommend NordVPN. This fast and secure VPN offers a convenient money-back guarantee. You can subscribe to Nord to watch the Olympics then get your money back within the next 30 days.
- Download the VPN software on your device.
- Open the app, and log in.
- Connect to a server in the country of the stream you want to watch.
- Go to the streaming provider, like Peacock, and enjoy the 2022 Olympic Games from anywhere in the world!
2022 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony Schedule
The opening ceremony began on Friday, February 4 at 7:30 p.m. Chinese time. The closing ceremony will take place on February 20, 2022.
It’s important to take into account the time difference between Beijing and your own country. In the US, the event ran from 6:50 PM Eastern time through the morning hours of February 4th.
| EVENT | DATE | TIME (ET) | TIME (TOKYO) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening ceremony | Thursday 3 February | 6:50 PM | 7:30 AM (2/4/2022) |
If you are in a country or timezone where watching live is not possible, NBCSports will offer replays of the opening ceremony.
Highlights of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony
Between the artistic presentations representing tradition and innovation and the fanfare of the presentation of the Olympic athletes, this year’s Winter Olympics opening ceremony should not be missed.
Like every opening ceremony before, the flag parade is a huge part of the opening ceremony. Up to two athletes may carry the flag per country. The opening ceremony will be concluded with the torch lighting, involving several Chinese Olympic athletes.
