There’s a sneaky way to watch Winter Olympics 2026 *FREE* in the USA

If you’re hyped for the Winter Olympics but have this creeping sense that somebody’s getting a better view of the action, it’s for good reason.

In some respects, American fans have it good. The U.S. is second behind only Norway in the all-time medal table, and Lindsey Vonn, Jordan Stolz, Ilia Malinin, Alysa Liu and Mikaela Shiffrin are some of the biggest stars at Milano Cortina, but the U.S. is one of very few countries where the Winter Olympics aren’t free-to-air — at all.

Instead, it’s locked behind the Peacock paywall. Viewers in Canada, the U.K. and Australia, on the other hand, can watch a huge amount of the action without paying a cent.

Here’s our full (and quick) guide on how to watch the Winter Olympics for free.

Other ways of watching Winter Olympics 2026 for free

Viewers based in Canada, the U.K. and Australia are also in luck, because free Winter Olympics coverage is being provided by CBC Gem, BBC iPlayer and 9Now respectively. All you need is an account.

We watched the Olympics back at Paris 2024 on each of the platforms and were thoroughly impressed with the coverage — the most extensive of which came courtesy of CBC Gem (they have over 2,000 hours of action).

Traveling in the U.S. right now? Don’t worry, you can access the free Winter Olympics coverage from anywhere using a VPN.

How to watch Winter Olympics for free from anywhere

Away from home at the moment and blocked from watching the action on your usual subscription?

You can still watch Winter Olympics 2026 live thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software can make your devices appear as if they’re back in your home country regardless of where you are, making it ideal for viewers away on vacation or on business. Norton VPN is one of the best you can get — we explain why in our Norton VPN Review.

Using a VPN is incredibly simple.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we’ve said, Norton VPN is a great choice.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you’re in the U.S. and want to view a Canadian service, you’d select Canada from the server list.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to CBC Gem or another streaming service and watch the Winter Olympics for free.

Which devices can I watch the Winter Olympics for free on?

CBC Gem:

Amazon Fire TV
Android phones and tablets
Android TV (NVIDIA Shield, and select Smart TVs)
Apple iPhones and iPads
Apple TV

BBC iPlayer:

Amazon Fire TV
Android phones and tablets (Android 7.0 and above)
Android TV
Apple iPhones and iPads (iOS 14 and above)
Apple TV (tvOS 14 or later)
Google TV (Chromecast with Google TV and NVIDIA Shield)
Freely
Freesat (please note: some models aren’t supported)
Freeview Play (TVs and set-top boxes) (some models aren’t supported)
LG Smart TVs (2016-2024)
NOW Smart Sticks and Boxes (minimum firmware v11.5.0)
PlayStation (PS4 and PS5)
Roku (Stick & Roku-OS powered TVs, minimum firmware v11.5.0)
Samsung phones and Smart TVs (2017 and above)
Sky Q, Sky Glass and Sky Stream puck
Virgin Media (360, Stream, TiVo)
YouView (BT, Humax, Sony, TalkTalk)
Xbox (One, Series X, Series S)

9Now:

Amazon Fire TV
Android phones and tablets (Android OS 5 and newer)
Android TV
Apple iPhones and iPads (iOS 12 or later)
Apple TV (including Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD)
Chromecast (including Chromecast with Google TV)
Fetch TV (Gen 3 or newer)
Foxtel iQ
Freeview
Hisense TV
LG Smart TV (webOS 4 or higher)
Roku (including Roku 2, Roku 3, Roku Express, Roku Express+, Roku Premiere, Roku Premiere+, Roku Streaming Stick, Roku Streaming Stick+ and Roku Streambar)

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