Tired of hearing the Olympics results before you get a chance to see the action? Avoid NBC's tape delay and check out all of the action, live and streamed to your desktop or mobile device. Find out how!
With broadcast rights for the uber-popular (to say the least) Olympics costing billions of dollars, it might make sense to some that NBC presents the action on a tape delay so as to broadcast the most attractive events in prime time when there's the biggest audience (and advertising dollars). But with ever-present social media, it's more than annoying to hear about the winner before you get a chance to see the event. Who hasn't had the result of a big game ruined by a friend? Now times that by 32 sports and 302 events, and it becomes quite a pain in the butt.
Luckily for us viewers, NBC also provides the ability to watch every single event online in real time if you have an existing "cable, satellite, or telco TV subscription that includes MSNBC and CNBC." Check out the action at their Live Extra, with additional features such as replays and alerts for upcoming events. It works for your computer, tablet, or smartphone, too (but requires a cable subscription).
Watch the Olympics Live at NBC Olympics Live Extra
Option for OS X users:
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(Images: NBC)

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NBC has really botched this Olympics coverage. I expect to see this comment deleted.
I don't know what you mean by FREE streaming. Those of us without cable or satellite can't watch the live streaming. Therefore it's not free. It's part of your cable package. I agree that they have severely botched coverage.
LiveExtra isn't truly free... you have to have a cable subscription to access the streaming video and most of the replays. Seriously NBC?!? Super frustrating for those of us without cable. Unless you have a friend who will give you their cable login information... :)
I recommend BBC for better coverage.
Agreed. I have no TV, thus no cable, so I have been missing out. I would have paid a fee for coverage (like the NCAA offers for basketball), but sadly this isn't an option.
We pay for it, but our service provider is private so I still don't get access to this. (Same for HBO Go.. I pay, but can't get it.. sucks so bad)
I wish this article was about Free Live Streams online!!! You can't watch on NBC online unless you pay a zillion dollars for cable.
As other comments have reflected - what NBC puts out is not free, you need to have a cable subscription to access the streams. YouTube has streams live, but you have to live in one of 64 countries to access it. BBC has it, but you have to be in UK to get it.
Overall, without a bit of tech know-how, a bit of skirting the legalities, and some labor, there's no real easy way to watch the olympics live if you don't have cable.
And then we're left with watching a delayed, american-centric, gratingly commented half-ass of a show by lovely NBC.
Apologies for the confusion folks, we've added in the "cable, satellite, or telco TV subscription that includes MSNBC and CNBC" requirement.