NBC Olympics will provide unprecedented coverage of the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics on Friday, July 23, creating a full day of Olympic programming on NBC that culminates in what is always one of the most-watched nights in television with the primetime presentation of the Ceremony. The day will begin with the network’s first-ever live morning broadcast of an Opening Ceremony (LIVE STREAM LINK), followed by a special edition of TODAY with reaction and athlete interviews and then NBC’s first-ever Olympic Daytime show on the opening Friday of the Games.
The highly anticipated Tokyo Opening Ceremony will be the first major global gathering since the worldwide pandemic began last year. The NBC primetime broadcast will feature special coverage of Team USA, along with the performances, pageantry, and Parade of Nations, the heart of any Opening Ceremony, which will be especially meaningful this year. Coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT on NBC, as well as the NBC Sports app and NBCOlympics.com (LIVE STREAM LINK).
In order to provide viewers with the opportunity to share this historic experience with people from around the world as it happens, the Tokyo Opening Ceremony will also be broadcast live on NBC across all time zones starting at 6:55 a.m. ET/3:55 a.m. PT, including participation by TODAY anchors who viewers welcome into their homes each morning. It can also be streamed live in the NBC Sports app and on NBCOlympics.com. This marks the first time NBC Olympics will broadcast an Opening Ceremony live in the morning. With Tokyo 13 hours ahead of the east coast of the United States, the Opening Ceremony begins at 8 p.m. in Japan, which is 7 a.m. ET/4 a.m. PT.
The NBC primetime coverage of the Tokyo Opening Ceremony will be replayed overnight, allowing viewers another opportunity to experience this historic moment and creating a near Ceremony takeover of NBC.
JULY 23 TOKYO OLYMPICS PROGRAMMING ON NBC
All Times ET
| 6:55 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. | Live Opening Ceremony Coverage |
| 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Special Edition of TODAY |
| 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Tokyo Olympics Daytime |
| 7:30 p.m. – Midnight | Primetime Opening Ceremony |
| 12:35 a.m. – 5:00 a.m.* | Overnight Replay of Opening Ceremony |
All Times PT
| 3:55 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. | Live Opening Ceremony Coverage |
| 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. | Special Edition of TODAY |
| 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Tokyo Olympics Daytime |
| 4:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. | Primetime Opening Ceremony |
| 9:10 p.m. – 1:10 a.m.* | Opening Ceremony Primetime Encore |
| 1:10 a.m. – 5:00 a.m.* | Overnight Replay of Opening Ceremony |
*July 24