Taekwondo—the combat sport meaning the “way of kicking and punching”—is a relatively new addition to the Games, only becoming a full-medal sport in Sydney in 2000 after being a demonstration discipline for years. Read on to see how to watch a taekwondo Olympics 2020 live stream and all of the times, costs and free viewing locations.
While taekwondo was largely dominated by Asian athletes at its debut, over the years a mix of skilled athletes from across Europe, America, and Africa have made history by taking home gold.
In Tokyo, athletes will compete for medals across eight weight classes. Ones to watch include: Jade Jones—Team GB’s youngest gold medalist and the favourite to win the women’s featherweight. World champion Young Sim Jae of South Korea and Cote d’Ivoire’s bronze medallist Ruth Gbagbi are also highly anticipated as podium finishers.
With Tokyo scheduling taekwondo events at the beginning of the Games to maximize viewership, you’ll want to tune in to watch taekwondo at Olympics 2020. Below, we discuss how to live stream Olympics events, and some key dates you won’t want to miss.
Olympics 2020 taekwondo: key dates and times
– Women’s -49kg gold medal contest/victory ceremony, and men’s -58kg gold medal contest/victory ceremony: Saturday, July 24 from 7pm JST / 11am BST / 6am ET
– Women’s -57kg gold medal contest/victory ceremony, and men’s -68kg gold medal contest/victory ceremony: Sunday, July 25 from 7pm JST / 11am BST / 6am ET
– Women’s -67kg gold medal contest/victory ceremony, and men’s -80kg gold medal contest/victory ceremony: Monday, July 26 from 7pm JST / 11am BST / 6am ET
– Women’s +67kg gold medal contest/victory ceremony, and men’s +80kg gold medal contest/victory ceremony: Tuesday, July 27 from 7pm JST / 11am BST / 6am ET
Free Olympics hockey live stream
There is a huge wealth of free viewing options across the world if you’re looking for an Olympics 2020 live stream. While the Olympics Channel will be showing highlights, regional broadcasters will be the places to catch full coverage.
For instance, UK residents can catch taekwondo events across BBC One, BBC Two, and online via BBC iPlayer, and Australian residents can tune into Channel 7 or 7Plus online.
How to watch your Olympics live stream when abroad
While you’ll be able to watch an Olympics live stream from the large majority of countries, you may face difficulties if you’re trying to tune in to your usual streaming platform while abroad.
That’s because streaming platforms tend to geo-block their content, stopping you when you’re abroad. Luckily, there is a very simple way to resolve this issue – by using a VPN.
Download one of the best VPN services and you’ll be able to override these geo-blocks and watch the Olympics like you’re back home. This saves you having to track down a dodgy stream while you’re on holiday.
Use a VPN to watch Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games from anywhere
ExpressVPN – get the world’s best VPN
We have spent hours and hours trying out all of the best VPNs, testing them on all of the key categories like speed, security features and their design.
From these tests, one VPN provider has stood out above the rest – ExpressVPN. In all categories it excels and luckily, it is compatible with all of your devices including Xbox and PlayStation, Android and Apple phones, Amazon Fire Sticks, Google Chomesticks, smart TVs and more.
If you sign up for a year long plan right now, you will get an extra 3 months thrown in for free. Don’t have a good experience with it? You have 30 days to get all of your money back!
Using a VPN is as easy as one-two-three…
1. Download and login to a VPN – as we’ve said above, our top choice is ExpressVPN
2. Connect to the appropriate server location – open the VPN app, hit ‘choose location’ and select the appropriate location
3. Go to the broadcaster’s live stream – For example, those from the UK can head on over to BBC iPlayer
FREE Olympics hockey live stream in the UK
Those living in the UK are spoilt for choice on free Olympics coverage, with BBC One, Two, and BBC iPlayer all live-streaming taekwondo events.
If these aren’t an option, though, you can also utilize streaming services like Discovery+ and Eurosport. Discovery+ can be watched from your phone, laptop, or Smart TV for free, but you can also upgrade to the Entertainment pass for £4.99 per month or £49.99 per year—be sure to take advantage of the free 7-day trial too.
Eurosport costs £6.99 per month, but subscribe for a year to bring this down to just £4.99 per month. Watch Eurosport on your TV by Chromecasting or connecting a laptop with an HDMI cable, or—if you’re an Apple TV user—stream it directly from your Apple device.
Going on holiday for the 2020 Olympic Games? Not a problem—download and install a VPN to continue accessing UK streaming services from anywhere in the world.
How to watch Olympics hockey in the US with and without cable
Tune in to the 2020 Olympics in the US by heading to NBC, either online or via your TV, if you have cable access. If you don’t have cable, that’s also not a problem—you can head to Peacock TV instead.
Peacock provides a free online streaming service with hundreds of TV shows and movies, but you can also upgrade to a paid account for full coverage of the 2020 Olympics. The Premium subscription sets you back just $4.99 per month, or go ad-free with the Premium Plus account for $9.99 per month.
Sling TV will also be live-streaming the Tokyo Olympics—the Sling Blue package costs $35 per month and includes NBCSN access, and your first month is just $10, too.
How to watch Olympics hockey in Canada
Those in Canada can catch all Olympic taekwondo events across a variety of channels, including TLN, TSN, CBC, and Sportsnet. Plus, if you don’t have cable, you can access the last three online instead via their independent streaming services.
CBC provides the first month free and then a monthly cost of CA$4.99 per month; TSN is CA$4.99 per day or $19.99 per month, and Sportsnet Now will set you back CA$19.99 per month.
How to live stream hockey at the Olympics for FREE in Australia
Taekwondo fans down under can head to Channel 7 for free Olympics coverage, or use the online 7plus streaming service instead—this is available on any internet-enabled device, including your smart TV.
Not in the country when the taekwondo airs? Not a problem. Simply use a VPN to tune in like you’re in the country.
More 2020 Olympics broadcasters around the world
Don’t live in any of the countries we’ve listed above? Not to worry, the Olympics are available to watch from the large majority of countries around the world. While some countries won’t have free viewing options or as many choices, you should have an option available in your region.
Unsurprisingly, the list of viewing platforms is very extensive but luckily, there is a dedicated Wikipedia page with all of the different channels airing the Olympics.