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How to Watch the Winter Olympics in 2025: Watch Live From Anywhere With a VPN

The much-anticipated 2022 Winter Olympics are fast approaching, with seven new events set to debut. If you’re worried about missing out on the action, read on to find out where and how to watch the Winter Olympics.

Kit CopsonAleksander Hougen

Written by Kit Copson (Writer, Briefing Editor)

Reviewed by Aleksander Hougen (Co-Chief Editor)

Last Updated: 2024-10-16T14:03:38+00:00

All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.

How to Watch the Winter Olympics

Key Takeaways: How to Watch the Winter Olympics

  1. Browse to nordvpn.com and grab a 72% discounted plan.
  2. Download and Install the VPN client. Connect to a U.S. Server.
  3. Stream the Winter Olympics

Best VPNs for watching The Winter Olympics:

  1. NordVPN — Cutting-edge security meets fast speeds. NordVPN’s best deal is available at a 72% discount.
  2. Surfshark — Connect all your devices without breaking the bank. Sign up now to get 66% (plus 3 months free) off the first two years.
  3. ExpressVPN — Top-notch VPN that anyone can use. New ExpressVPN subscribers get up to 25% reduced rates on long-term commitments.

Facts and Expert Analysis:

  • The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics will officially start on February 4 and will end on February 20, 2022. You can watch them on NBC, USA Network or CNBC or livestream the events on a streaming service. 
  • U.S. streaming services broadcasting the Olympics livestream include Peacock, Hulu + Live TV, fuboTV and YouTube TV. 
  • If you’re traveling outside the U.S. but still want to use your U.S. streaming service to watch the Olympics, you can use a VPN to overcome the geoblocks. NordVPN, Surfshark and ExpressVPN are all solid choices for streaming abroad. 
Best VPN for Winter Olympics

The upcoming Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics have been met with a mixture of excitement and controversy. If you’re up for watching the icy events unfold while staying warm and cozy at home, this guide explains how to watch the Winter Olympics this February. 

Winter Olympics 2022 events will include cross-country skiing, ski jumping, alpine skiing, figure skating, short track speed skating and many more. New events, including women’s monobob and men’s and women’s freestyle skiing will also debut. The events will kick off with an opening ceremony on February 4 and will finish up on February 20, 2022. 

The Winter Games opening ceremony and following events will be broadcast across several channels and services by NBCUniversal. We’re going to explain where to watch the Winter Olympics on both cable and streaming services. We’ll also dive into how you can continue to use your favorite U.S. streaming service with a VPN — we recommend NordVPN — to livestream the Winter Games if you’re traveling overseas this winter.

  • 09/07/2022

    Updated Windscribe pricing: the paid plan increased to $5.75 per month from $4.08. The Build-a-Plan minimum purchase also increased to $3 from $2. Also updated Windscribe’s free data cap to 15GB due to it offering 5GB extra permanently when you tweet about the service.

  • 09/30/2024

    We refreshed these rankings based on the latest VPN testing and market analysis.

How to Watch the Winter Olympics Live Coverage

Beijing olympic winter games 
NBCUniversal is the exclusive broadcaster of the Beijing Winter Games. 

Around 200 hours of Olympics coverage will be broadcast by NBC, the exclusive U.S. Winter Olympics broadcaster. If you have cable, getting live Winter Olympics coverage is as simple as tuning into NBC. The less savory news is that the live opening ceremony starts at 6:30 a.m. Eastern Time — a sleepy start for some. 

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You can also catch around 400 hours of coverage on the USA Network and 80 hours on CNBC. Just bear in mind that CNBC will broadcast mostly curling and ice hockey events. The full Winter Games schedule is now available on NBCOlympics.com, and you can personalize it by choosing your zip code, time zone and favorite events.

Where Can I Watch the Winter Olympics Online?

For viewers in the U.S. with cable TV, you can visit NBCOlympics.com or NBCSports.com to watch the Winter Olympics live. Just be aware that you do need a cable TV login to use these services. Another option worth considering is the NBC Sports app, where more than 2,100 hours will be livestreamed. 

How to Watch the Beijing Winter Olympics Without Cable

peacock winter olympics 
The Winter Olympic Games will be available to livestream on Peacock Premium.

If you’ve already cut the cord, there are plenty of ways to catch the Team USA athletes in action without cable. Check out this list of U.S. streaming services where the Winter Olympics will be available live and on-demand: 

The Best Way to Watch the 2022 Winter Olympic Games Outside the US

There are two ways to watch the 2022 Winter Olympic Games outside the U.S. One way is to catch it on channels or streaming services available in the country you’re visiting — for example, BBC, Eurosport or Discovery Plus in the U.K. or Eurosport in Europe. Check out the official “where to watch” guide for information on where to watch in different countries. 

The second option is to stick with your U.S. streaming service and use a VPN to overcome regional restrictions. This is a great option for people from the U.S. who are traveling and don’t have access to a TV. We’ll explain this in more detail below. 

If you’d like to learn more about using a VPN with individual services, our Best VPN for Hulu and Best VPN for YouTube and YouTube TV may be of interest. Without further ado, let’s explore how to watch the 2022 Winter Olympics with a VPN. 

How to Watch the 2022 Winter Olympics With a VPN

peacock geoblocking
NBC’s streaming service Peacock is only available in a handful of locations. 

As a result of geoblocking, many streaming services are restricted to certain locations. For example, NBC’s streaming service Peacock, though not limited to the U.S., is only available in a few locations. It is also available in the U.K. and Ireland via Sky and NOW and in Germany and Austria via Sky. To get around these restrictions, you can use a VPN. 

When a VPN is connected to a server, it changes your IP address to one in the country where the geoblocked content or service is. For example, if you wanted to use Peacock to stream the Winter Olympics from abroad, you would connect to a server in a country where Peacock is available. 

For this tutorial, we’re going to pair Peacock with NordVPN to show you how to access Peacock from overseas. You can also use this method with other streaming services like Hulu and YouTube TV. 

  1. Sign Up to an NordVPN Plan

    First, head over to NordVPN’s website and choose a plan. You can get up to a 72% discount, risk-free because it’s covered by the 30-day money-back guarantee.

    nordvpn step 1
  2. Download NordVPN

    Go to NordVPN’s website and download the NordVPN app for your device. Follow the steps in the installation wizard to complete setup.

    nordvpn step 2
  3. Connect to a US Server

    Open the NordVPN app on your device and connect to a U.S. server. Tap or click the “power” button to connect. The button will turn green when you are connected.

    NordVPN US
  4. Stream the Winter Olympics

    Sign in to Peacock Premium or your streaming service of choice and start streaming the Beijing Winter Olympics!

    peacock signin

The 3 Best VPNs for Streaming the Beijing Winter Games

With all the VPNs out there, it can be hard to figure out which ones are worth your time and money. This is especially true if you’re new to VPNs. 

The three VPNs below are the ones we’ve tested and have found to be the most consistent with streaming services as a rule. Just remember that — as with any software — there are no guarantees. Streaming services are constantly working to block VPNs, so you may find that a VPN or specific server that works one day doesn’t work the next. 

The good news is that when a block does happen, it’s usually only temporary. Our top tip is to play around with a few different servers, which usually solves the problem. Read on to learn more about Cloudwards’ top VPN recommendations for streaming Winter Olympics events. 

1. NordVPN — Best VPN

nordvpn in app 
NordVPN is very user-friendly and an overall great streaming VPN.
Best VPN for Winter Olympics

Pros:

  • User-friendly 
  • 15 servers in the U.S.
  • Very secure 

Cons:

  • Slightly inconsistent speeds on some servers

Never miss a show again — try NordVPN risk-free for 30 days and save 72%.

Download
90 Mbps
Very Fast
Upload
9 Mbps
Very Fast
Latency
4 ms
Very Fast
Source: Cloudwards VPN Speed Test. We test daily. Data from 01/20/25 to 02/17/25
Data for region:

Our recommendation is NordVPN, the best of our streaming VPN recommendations. NordVPN wins points for ease of use — the interface is very simple to navigate and you can easily switch between servers. All the VPNs listed here are simple to use, but NordVPN is an especially good choice for beginners and technophobes. 

We’ve always had a good experience using NordVPN with streaming services, too. We have noticed slow buffering on occasion with a few servers, but for the most part, NordVPN performs perfectly well with streaming services. NordVPN has a no-logs policy and uses AES-256 encryption. It’s also relatively affordable.

Read more on NordVPN in our full NordVPN review

Plus
  • *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
  • Unlimited GB
  • 10
  • Yes
Complete
  • *The prices are shown only apply for the first 12 months.
  • Unlimited GB
  • 10
  • Yes
Prime
  • **The prices are applicable only for the first 24 months. Secure, high-speed VPN Threat Protection Pro™: Anti-malware and advanced browsing protection Threat Protection Pro™: Ad and tracker blocker Password manager with Data Breach Scanner 1 TB of encrypted cloud storage Identity and SSN monitoring and alerts Credit monitoring services Up to $1M in identity theft insurance Up to $100K in cyber extortion insurance
  • 10

2. Surfshark — Best VPN for The Winter Olympics With Unlimited Connections

surfshark step 3
Surfshark is the best alternative to our top pick, NordVPN.

Pros

  • Strong security suite options
  • Solid security
  • Excellent speeds

Cons

  • Site may collect your real IP
  • High latency on close servers
  • No Mac/iOS split tunneling

Stream like a local anywhere — get Surfshark’s 66% (plus 3 months free) off deal with a 30-day refund policy.

Download
94 Mbps
Very Fast
Upload
9 Mbps
Very Fast
Latency
3 ms
Very Fast
Source: Cloudwards VPN Speed Test. We test daily. Data from 01/20/25 to 02/17/25
Data for region:

Though NordVPN is our top-recommended pick, it’s not everyone’s first choice. If you’re looking for an alternative, we say give Surfshark a go. True, its latency can be high, which is why it’s in second place to NordVPN, but Surfshark gains brownie points in many other areas — most especially its long-term affordability.

Fast, adept at skirting around geoblocks, affordable and with a security suite like a candy shop for those in need of extra protection, those tempted to try all this out can do so with Surfshark’s 30-day money-back guarantee. You can also read our Surfshark review if you have more questions.

Surfshark Starter
  • Unlimited GB bandwidth, Unlimited devices, Secure VPN, Ad blocker, Cookie pop-up blocker. Pricing for the annual and biennial plans only apply for the first payment. Renewal fees vary.
  • Unlimited GB
  • Unlimited
  • Yes
Surfshark One
  • Everything in Starter, plus Antivirus protection, Identity protection, Email Breach and Credit Card Alerts, Online Alias Pricing for the annual and biennial plans only apply for the first payment. Renewal fees vary.
  • Unlimited GB
  • Unlimited
Surfshark One+
  • Everything in One, plus Data removal Pricing for the annual and biennial plans only apply for the first payment. Renewal fees vary.
  • Unlimited GB
  • Unlimited

3. ExpressVPN — Best User-Friendly VPN for The Winter Olympics

expressvpn best app
ExpressVPN is a reliable streaming VPN with top-notch security features. 

Pros:

  • Lightning-fast 
  • Multiple U.S. servers
  • Excellent encryption 
  • Reliable & secure 

Cons:

  • Expensive

Unleash global content with ExpressVPN — sign up now for 25% off and unrestricted access.

Download
84 Mbps
Very Fast
Upload
8 Mbps
Very Fast
Latency
4 ms
Very Fast
Source: Cloudwards VPN Speed Test. We test daily. Data from 01/20/25 to 02/17/25
Data for region:

When it comes to streaming, ExpressVPN is a great choice every time. We test VPNs on a regular basis and ExpressVPN consistently unblocks streaming services, particularly Peacock, Hulu and YouTube TV. If there was an award for fastest VPN, ExpressVPN would win one of the medals along with NordVPN and Surfshark. 

It’s also compatible with several types of devices, meaning you can watch the Winter Olympics on your laptop, PC, phone or tablet — perfect for travelers. Streaming performance aside, ExpressVPN is one of the most secure and reputable VPN services available. It uses AES-256 encryption and has a strict no-logs policy, keeping your online activity completely anonymous. 

ExpressVPN also has a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try it out risk-free. Read more about ExpressVPN in our full ExpressVPN review.

ExpressVPN Plans
  • Pricing for the annual and biennial plans applies only on the first year.
  • Unlimited GB
  • 8
  • Yes

Best Free VPN for The Winter Olympics: PrivadoVPN

Privado VPN US
PrivadoVPN is a secure free VPN provider that unblocks streaming platforms.

Pros

  • Easy-to-use apps
  • Generous free plan
  • 10 device connections
  • Unblocks major streaming services

Cons

  • Relatively slow
  • No third-party audit
  • Poor customer support
  • Small server network

PrivadoVPN is the top free VPN choice for streaming. On its free plan, you get 10 GB of free data each month and access to servers in 10 countries, including the U.S. Granted, 10 GB won’t last long if you stream a lot, but it’s still generous — especially given that PrivadoVPN is private and secure.

If you’re curious about PrivadoVPN, you can get all the details in our PrivadoVPN review and download the free version from the provider’s website.

Final Thoughts

Maybe you’re content to watch the competition highlights and memorable moments on-demand. With a streaming subscription such as Peacock, you’ll catch up on all the moments. Plus, you’ll get an opportunity to watch movies such as Yellowstone, in between the live games.

If you’re outside the U.S., NordVPN is the best solution to get into the Peacock streaming service. Don’t just take our word for it — NordVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee lets you verify its quality firsthand without any financial risk. Not to mention, it helps you unblock other streaming services to watch FIFA World Cup and other live events.

Whatever your plans, we hope you enjoy streaming the Winter Games from wherever you are in the world. Will you be watching the Olympic Winter Games this February? Which channel or streaming service do you plan on using? Let us know in the comments and, as always, thanks for reading! 

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