How to stream the Paris Olympics opening ceremony

Paris Olympics officials have rolled the dice while breaking with tradition for the 2024 Olympics opening ceremony. Here’s what you need to know.

The Olympics Rings on the Trocadero Esplanade near the Eiffel Tower. Photo by CHRISTOPHE SIMON / AFP.

Paris Olympics officials have rolled the dice while breaking with tradition for the 2024 Olympics opening ceremony.

Here’s everything you need to know for the $1.5 billion spectacle.

The Paris Olympic Games begin on Friday, July 26 and run through to Sunday, August 11. The Paralympics take place from August 28 to September 8.

You can read a full guide on how to watch the world’s biggest sporting event here.

The opening ceremony will be broadcast on Channel 9, 9Now as well as streaming platform Stan.

Stan Sport currently costs $15 per month, on top of an existing Stan subscription.

A global audience of 1.5 billion is expected to tune in when the ceremony begins 7.30pm Paris time — or 3.30am AEST.

he Paris Olympics opening ceremony on July 26, 2024, will take part on the River Seine, breaking the long-held Summer Games tradition of a stadium procession. Photo by Florian Hulleu / Paris 2024 / AFP.

The opening ceremony along the river Seine in the heart of the French capital promises to be unlike anything seen in the modern Olympic movement with the spectacular production to take place in a public space that will be free to watch from some sections of the 6km torch parade route.

Paris 2024 will be the first Olympics in history to take the opening ceremony out of its traditional setting of the main Games stadium.

There were some nervous moments for the Paris Olympics Organising Committee on June 22 when it was announced a rehearsal for the ceremony suffered a setback.

A rehearsal planned for June 24 was postponed because the river Seine was flowing too fast in June.

After several weeks of rainy weather, the Seine was flowing at a level five times stronger than its normal summer reading.

The Aquatic Olympic Center (CAO) swimming pool, and the 'Stade de France' stadium from the Pleyel Tower. Photo by STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP.

Officials are confident that the near four-hour ceremony will run like clockwork on July 26.

It is estimated 600,000 spectators will crowd the famous water rivulet during the ceremony with 15 million tourists to flock to the city throughout the Games.

Olympics officials hope to use the spectacle to showcase the city’s iconic monuments and its $1.5 billion rejuvination project along the banks of the river

Organisers also hope to put the athletes at the front of the production, with more than 10,000 athletes to feature on more than 90 barges that will flood the watercourse until reaching their destination — Trocadéro, an embankment opposite the Eiffel Tower.

When are the 2024 Olympic Games?

After Covid heavily impacted the 2020 edition in Japan, this year’s Olympics will start as planned with the Opening Ceremony on Friday, July 26 (July 27 AEST) at the Jardins du Trocadero (Gardens of the Trocadero) on the Seine. More than 10,000 athletes are slated to compete in 32 sports before the Closing Ceremony on August 11.

How to watch the opening ceremony at the Paris Olympics

The Olympics Rings on the Trocadero Esplanade near the Eiffel Tower. Photo by CHRISTOPHE SIMON / AFP.

Channel 9 is the broadcast host of this year’s Games, the first time the network has had Olympic rights since the 2012 edition in London, when it shared them with Foxtel.

Nine paid $305 million to secure the exclusive TV rights from Paris through to the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane.

The network is using a number of platforms to show the Olympics, including the main 9 and 9 HD channels, 9Gem, the 9Now app and Stan Sports.

There will be a staggering 40 HD streams on 9Now.

Stan Sport will have two daily shows called Olympics Daily and Paris Preview, where a line-up of Aussie Olympic legends will dissect the day’s action.

The shows will be hosted by Adam Peacock and Tara Rushton.

Stan Sport has announced its line-up of experts who will contribute to Olympics Daily and Paris Preview.

Ash Barty, who won a bronze medal in Tokyo, will give her insights to Australian audiences for the first time since retiring from tennis in 2022.

Stan Sport will also showcase eight international channels in a world first, allowing communities to access coverage in different languages.

Viewers can watch official coverage from the UK, Spain, France, Germany, Greece and Italy (Eurosport), India (Viacom 18) and New Zealand (Sky New Zealand).

Originally published as How to stream the Paris Olympics opening ceremony