How To Watch The Olympics Closing Ceremony Live
You won't want to miss it.
Despite the threat of COVID and concerns over the Olympics going on during the continuing crisis, the Summer 2021 games in Tokyo have been a relative success. However, all good things must come to an end, and although the Olympics have been a bright spot for fans, the competitions will end soon. But before the festivities can draw to a close, there is the passing of the torch, as it were, with the Olympics Closing Ceremony, reminding viewers that in only a few short years, the 2024 Summer games will be upon us in Paris. Here’s how to watch the 2021 Olympics Closing Ceremony live so you can catch all the action at home.
When the Olympic games started on July 23, there was grave concern that they might not finish. With COVID cases on the rise in Tokyo and Japan’s low vaccination rate, officials had declared a state of emergency in the city just days before the Opening Ceremony. However, despite a few cases among the athletes, the masking and testing protocols seem to be holding things steady. The games have (mostly) gone off without a hitch, leaving spectators to focus on the sports instead of the ongoing health crisis.
And now, as the games draw to a close, fans are ready for another major televised moment. The final ceremony (including the extinguishing of the flame until Paris 2024) will commence on Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021, and there are several ways for fans to watch.
Much like the Opening Ceremony, time zones are a significant factor. The Closing Ceremonies are scheduled to commence at 8 p.m. JST on Sunday, Aug. 8. But Japan Standard Time is 12 hours ahead of the Eastern Standard Time — and right now, it’s Daylight Savings Time here in the States, so it’s actually a 13-hour difference. For East Coast dwellers, that means the Closing Ceremony will begin bright and early Sunday at 7 a.m. ET. For those on the West Coast, it’s even earlier, at 4 a.m. PT.
For those who want to wake up and watch the ceremony live, NBC will broadcast the 2021 Olympics Closing Ceremony in real time. For cord-cutters, it will simulcast streaming on both NBC Sports and the NBC Olympics website and NBC Universal’s streaming service, Peacock.
But those who don’t want to get up so early won’t miss out. Like the Opening Ceremony, NBC will rerun the whole thing starting at 8 p.m. ET Friday night, with repeat broadcasts on both the apps and Peacock. That way, everyone has the opportunity to say farewell to Tokyo before turning their eyes to France.
