How you can watch the Olympics in Australia
Arriving a year late and without spectators, the Tokyo Olympics are about to start.
The Games are due to run until August 8, depending on how Japan fares with its current resurgence in COVID-19 cases.
Here’s what you need to know about how and when to watch the Games.
Where can I watch the Olympics in Australia?
The Tokyo Olympics will be broadcast on free-to-air TV on Channel 7, 7TWO, and 7mate.
7Plus will also be streaming the games 24/7, meaning viewers can catch on anything they have missed during the day.
Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Hobart and Canberra (AEST) are ahead of Tokyo (JST) by one hour, meaning Aussies won’t need to stay up late to watch most events.
What time is the opening ceremony?
The opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics starts at 9pm AEST on Friday, July 23, and will run for about four hours.
Due to a resurgence in COVID-19 cases in Japan, there will be no fans in the stadium, with only 10,000 diplomats, foreign dignitaries, Olympics sponsors, and members of the International Olympic Committee in attendance.
The theme of the opening ceremony is “united by emotion”.
The Olympic flag-bearers for Australia are basketball champion Patty Mills, who is the first Indigenous man to do so, and Cate Campbell, the first female swimmer to do so too.
When is the closing ceremony?
The closing ceremony is due to be held at 9pm AEST on Sunday, August 8, and is expected to run for about three hours.
Just like the opening ceremony, Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium will be empty of fans.
What sports will be in the Olympics?
33 sports will be featured at the Tokyo Olympics across 339 events, including four new sports: karate, surfing, skateboarding and sport climbing.
Baseball and softball will also be included once again, after being dropped following the 2008 Beijing Games.
Australians will be competing in all 33 sports at the Games.
Image: Tokyo 2020 / Instagram