2016 Rio Olympics broadcast guide: How to watch and listen on TV, radio and online

By The Roar / Editor

Olympic fever hits the world from Saturday August 6 AEST and it’s set to be a huge couple of weeks for Australian athletes.

As the official television broadcaster in Australia the Seven network is the only place you’ll be able to view the Rio de Janiero Olympics live by legal means. There is no pay television option for this Olympics unlike London in 2012.

Seven has gone all out for the Games and announced it will have Olympic coverage on three of its channels including 7, 7TWO and 7Mate. These channels will also be available online and through a special Olympics on 7 app.

You can figure out exactly when your favourite event is on we have created the ultimate Olympics TV Guide for Australians, for all you intrepid sports fans.

If you’re all about the detail, we have listed every single event in the entire Games here in our Olympics Events Guide for Australians.

The Seven network has boasted that its coverage will have up to 900 hours of content live with video replays on demand.

For those who want even more coverage the network has announced a premium option for $19.95 which includes a further 36 channels plus a 24/7 Olympic news channel.

With a lot of Olympic events taking place overnight in Australian time, radio coverage will also be a good option for those who want to stay up to date while lying in bed.

Southern Cross Austereo is the official FM radio broadcaster with Triple M to broadcast selected events from Seven’s broadcast. There will also be a standalone digital (DAB+) channel called 7 Rio Live which will audio simulcast events each day from 5:30am.

The national broadcaster ABC will also send over a standalone team and will have coverage on ABC local radio, Grandstand digital, online and on the ABC Grandstand app.
Grandstand digital will run a dedicated Olympic network for the duration of the Games.

Of course, The Roar will be running live blogs throughout the Games and highlights from the big moments, so stick around and you’ll be well rewarded.

» DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE AUSTRALIAN OLYMPICS PDF

OLYMPICS LIVE STREAM

The Crowd Says:

2016-08-09T14:22:22+00:00

Susan

Guest


Eventing - so disappointing, it is not live, we have had to watch replay again from more than 24 hours ago with the live and free logo, no ethics, how can this follow TV regulations, and not see the jumping that we stayed up to see. Jumping was great on 72, you changed it to 7 and it was terrible. We have had to watch other rubbish and now a repeat from yesterday. I am a sports fan, not an equestrian fan. Due to our gold medal position this would have been great to see all the athletes compete in the jumping.

2016-08-09T13:26:58+00:00

Geoff Waters

Guest


Olympic medal tallies are based on the number of gold medals attained. A fairer way would be to consider the ratio of a country’s total medal count to its total population. Using the 2012 London Games medal tallies, medals per million population ratios:- Grenada was 1st (10 p/m); New Zealand 4th (3.0 p/m); Australia 11th (1.6 p/m); UK 21st (1.0 p/m); Russia 37th (0.6 p/m); US 49th (0.3 p/m)

2016-08-07T23:51:03+00:00

Liz

Guest


How can one watch online from a laptop? I just keep getting redirected to the App download page, which then tells me I don't have any suitable devices... Is it actually possible to just stream through the website??

2016-08-07T14:08:57+00:00

Donna Gallagher

Guest


I read the other advice...none worked for me. I finally solved the no sound...went into Settings...selected the 7 App....turned on the notifications.... ( I chose no notifications when I started the app) and now sound works perfectly...who would have guessed.... Donna

2016-08-07T13:18:58+00:00

Ian

Guest


Terrible coverage and presentation. If there was any other tv cover I would be there.

2016-08-07T12:04:04+00:00

Lucille Walker

Guest


Counting on Channel 7 to show Aussies competing in equestrian events is a non event as proven last night where I read they switched from the dressage phase of the 3 day event as an Aussie is about to compete to show a rowing event we were not even in. I do not even bother trying to see any coverage of my chosen sport on Channel 7. I would be interested to see their reply as to why it is treated with such disdain. How do they plan on getting viewers back that have departed vowing never to return? Are they even aware that we are currently sitting in 2nd place with our two strongest phases to come? Do they care?

2016-08-07T11:36:14+00:00

Chris

Guest


I don't just want to watch Australia and repeats again and again of what Australia did that day when there are other countries in these olympics. Show us all the sports, all the countries. I'm going crazy already only seeing Aussies!!!! And when you're reporting can you also show us what other countries are doing. At the last olympics I felt exactly like this, got Fox sports and had the best games ever, watching bits of everything. This is pathetic and no other choice

2016-08-07T10:54:19+00:00

Benson

Guest


Coverage of the games is appalling. Once again channel seven has forgotten there are other countries competing. So what do they do? Show interviews with Aussie families, competitors relaxing playing table tennis. Lift your game channel seven!!! Not everyone has access to online streaming (as its not free). Not happy. Please, channel nine and ten don't let seven win the rights to telecast the games ever again.

2016-08-07T10:26:50+00:00

mira

Guest


Channel Seven give us Rio Olympics detailed commentary. E.g Archery ... what was the distance, who won gold, etc.

2016-08-07T09:49:10+00:00

Eric Lee

Guest


Coverage of the events falls a long way short of the hype and I wish I could be much more positive. I look at TV 7HD 7TWO and 7MATE and I expect all of them to be fully occupied covering live all the events, even after the events have finished for the day. Instead I find only 7HD with some coverage. Then via my on my MacBk I expect to be able to pull in live coverage of all the events. But going to seven.com.au it takes a minute to download something and then I see a colourful screen with about six options. No control. Not obvious what I must do to get this. Brick walls in every direction. Yes I would be prepared to pay something for selectable coverage of all events, but since I don't have Telstra it's not clear that there are other options to bring it onto my PC or TV. Android? Big deal. I have a decent TV and an Xbox, but how do I pull it in this way? Then on top of this we have the continual uncertain about the time difference with Perth. The seven website doesn't make clear whether the times quoted are Rio times or Perth times? Or course we need to have which day we're talking about as well. Not clear. I find the schedule and suppose I want to find information on the artistic gymnastics. I only shows one item. Click on that and I get "not available" and no further information provided. If Rio was not fully prepared to run this games, it's turning out that they are indeed a lot better prepared than Channel(s) 7. There's time to have seven.com.au point to a much better introduction to the end viewer together with a rapid selection of the payment required and a standard means of paying it and seeing the coverage.

2016-08-07T06:10:20+00:00

jamesb

Guest


Are you saying Channel Nines one channel coverage four years ago was superior?

2016-08-07T05:46:58+00:00

Steve

Guest


SOLUTION FOUND: Slide the home screen up and switch off the MUTE button. Note that in many apps the sound on your iPad will work with the MUTE switch in the on position.

2016-08-07T03:13:50+00:00

Lee

Guest


Try this: Settings->General->Use Slide Switch to: Mute Switch Slide Switch Test for sound.

2016-08-07T01:33:04+00:00

Pauline

Guest


I have paid for premium app, but cannot get commentary for the equestrian - dressage part of eventing. Can hear the PA in the background, but no commentary if the routines. Have tried volumes everywhere. Is there commentary?

2016-08-07T01:31:41+00:00

jude

Guest


AGREE Shocking is there any where else we can go?

2016-08-07T01:30:49+00:00

jude

Guest


good luck - unfortunately tried to watch but the pathetic coverage on tv 2 mins ant that is it boody shocking......iI think coverage is by people who have short attention span ................wish someone else covered it ...........Ausi tv is a no go....(&)(&*)&&*

2016-08-06T22:55:02+00:00

Simon

Guest


What a f--k up. It is disgraceful that there is no clear communication on how to obtain complete broadcasting and then having technical difficulties with handheld devices.?? very upsetting

2016-08-06T22:25:21+00:00

Jrnb

Guest


No sound on iPad or iPhone..... Joke.....

2016-08-06T22:13:28+00:00

John

Guest


Same problem, no sound on my ipad

2016-08-06T21:33:37+00:00

Nic

Guest


Same problem for me. I see the stream but without any sound???

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