The 2024 Paris Olympics is almost here, and sporting fans around the world are eagerly anticipating the excitement to come. With that anticipation also come questions regarding the upcoming event.
In this guide, we aim to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about the Paris Olympics, providing you with all the information you need to enjoy this international sporting spectacle to the fullest.
Table of Contents
- 2024 Paris Olympic Games General Information
- Questions About Olympic Athletes
- Olympic Sporting Events Information
- Questions About Paris
- Questions About 2024 Paris Olympics
- Watch The Olympics on DIRECTV
2024 Paris Olympic Games General Information
To start, let’s get answers to the frequently asked questions around the dates of The Olympics and how to watch the monumental event from the US.
When are the 2024 Paris Olympics?
The 2024 Paris Games will take place from Friday, July 26 until Sunday, August 11, lasting a total of six weeks. The Opening Ceremony will be live on Friday, July 26th and The Closing Ceremonies will be live on Sunday, August 11.
Where Can I Watch the 2024 Paris Olympics?
The Olympics only come around every four years, so you don’t want to miss a moment of the on-screen action. All of that on-screen action will be available for US fans to watch across the family of NBCUniversal networks. Below is the list of the channels showing Olympic content this summer, along with how to find them on DIRECTV.
- NBC (Check local listings)
- USA Network – DIRECTV Channel 242
- CNBC – DIRECTV Channel 355
- E! – DIRECTV Channel 236
- Golf Channel – DIRECTV Channel 218
- Telemundo – DIRECTV Channel 406
- Universo – DIRECTV Channel 410
There will also be Olympic content airing on Peacock, which DIRECTV customers can get for a discount! Find out how here.
Find out how to get top notch Olympics coverage with DIRECTV.
Where Are The Olympics Taking Place?
The Olympics coming up in July are located in Paris, this year’s host city. Events will take place at more than 30 unique locations across the city of Paris and its surrounding areas. Listed below are each of the locations, along with the events that will take place there and their distance from the Paris City Center.
| Venue | Events Held | Distance from City Center |
| Aquatics Centre |
|
5 miles |
| Bercy Arena |
|
2 miles |
| Bordeaux Stadium |
|
306 miles |
| Champ de Mars Arena |
|
1.3 miles |
| Château de Versailles |
|
11 miles |
| Chateauroux Shooting Centre |
|
145 miles |
| Eiffel Tower Stadium |
|
2.4 miles |
| Elancourt Hill |
|
17 miles |
| Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium |
|
253 miles |
| Grand Palais |
|
1.8 miles |
| Hôtel de Ville | 0.5 miles | |
| Esplanade des Invalides |
|
1.7 miles |
| La Beaujoire Stadium |
|
211 miles |
| La Concorde |
|
1.3 miles |
| Le Bourget Sport Climbing Venue |
|
6.5 miles |
| Golf National |
|
14 miles |
| Lyon Stadium |
|
246 miles |
| Marseille Marina |
|
412 miles |
| Marseille Stadium |
|
412 miles |
| Nice Stadium |
|
426 miles |
| North Paris Arena |
|
11.3 miles |
| Parc des Princes |
|
4.4 miles |
| Paris La Defense Arena |
|
6 miles |
| Pierre Mauroy Stadium |
|
126 miles |
| Pont Alexandre III |
|
1.6 miles |
| Porte de La Chapelle Arena |
|
3 miles |
| Stade Roland-Garros |
|
4.4 miles |
| Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines BMX Stadium |
|
15 miles |
| Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome |
|
15 miles |
| South Paris Arena |
|
3.1 miles |
| Stade de France |
|
5.5 miles |
| Teahupo’o, Tahiti |
|
10,000 miles |
| Trocadéro |
|
1.3 miles |
| Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium |
|
13 miles |
| Yves-du-Manoir Stadium |
|
7 miles |
When are the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games?
The 2024 Paralympic Games will take place shortly after the conclusion of the Olympics. Fans can watch the Paralympic Games live from Paris and the surrounding area from August 28th to September 8th.
Where Can I Watch the Paralympic Games Paris 2024?
Fans looking to follow The Paralympic Games can do so across the NBCUniversal networks.
Questions About Olympic Athletes
And now, a look at frequently asked questions about Olympic athletes.
How Many Athletes Will Compete in The Games of the XXXIII Olympiad?
The Paris Olympic Games will host 10,500 athletes for the games.
How Many Athletes Will Compete for the United States in 2024?
As of June 11, there have been more than 400 athletes qualified to compete for USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Can Russian and Belarusian Athletes Compete in The Paris Olympics?
The countries of Russia and Belarus have been barred from sending teams to compete at The Olympics, but that doesn’t stop athletes from those countries from competing at all. These participants may compete as “neutral” athletes, meaning they will not be allowed to participate in The Opening Ceremony.
If these athletes win medals, they will not have their national anthem played or national flags raised, either.
Olympic Sporting Event Information
Do you have questions about the events at The Olympic Games Paris 2024? Get answers here.
How Many Sports Will Be at The Paris Olympics?
Olympic athletes will compete in 32 different Olympic sports, many of which have multiple events within them, totally out at 45 events throughout the month of competition. The official Olympic sports are listed below in alphabetical order:
- Archery
- Artistic Gymnastics
- Artistic Swimming
- Athletics / Track & Field
- Badminton
- Basketball
- Basketball 3×3
- Beach Volleyball
- Boxing
- Breaking (NEW!)
- Canoe Slalom
- Canoe Sprint
- Cycling BMX Freestyle
- Cycling BMX Racing
- Cycling Mountain Bike
- Cycling Road
- Cycling Track
- Diving
- Equestrian
- Fencing
- Football
- Golf
- Handball
- Hockey
- Judo
- Marathon Swimming
- Modern Pentathlon
- Rhythmic Gymnastics
- Rowing
- Rugby Sevens
- Sailing
- Shooting
- Skateboarding
- Sport Climbing
- Surfing
- Swimming
- Table Tennis
- Taekwondo
- Tennis
- Trampoline
- Triathlon
- Volleyball
- Water Polo
- Weightlifting
- Wrestling
Get a full primer on all the sports at the 2024 Paris Olympics here!
What New Sports Will Be at The Olympics?
The 2024 Paris Olympics will be the debut for Breaking, a hip-hop dance style that originated in the US in the 1970s.
Skateboarding, which debuted in 2021 at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, will also be back for just the second time in Paris.
Explore some of the other new sports introduced this year.
What Is the Difference Between Artistic Gymnastics and Rhythmic Gymnastics?
The largest difference between artistic and rhythmic gymnastics is that rhythmic gymnastics focuses more on presentation and style, while artistic gymnastics focuses more on technicalities, precision and physical strength.
Only women compete in rhythmic gymnastics at the Olympic level, while men and women compete in artistic gymnastics (often shortened to just gymnastics). Additionally, rhythmic gymnastics only consists of one floor exercise, while artistic athletes compete in a variety of events including vault, floor exercises, bars and balance beam.
Questions About Paris
Wondering how Paris is preparing for this monumental event? Find out below.
How Is Paris Preparing for The Olympics?
The city of Paris and the French Republic in general has been preparing for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games for years, and it’s finally coming to fruition. In addition to building a number of short-term and permanent sporting facilities, Paris is preparing for the event by mounting the iconic Olympic rings on the iconic Eiffel Tower, marking 50 days until the sports world gathers in the French capital for the quadrennial sports festival.
The Eiffel Tower and the surrounding area will be prominent during the July 26-August 11 Paris Olympics and The Paralympics, with events like beach volleyball being played at the foot of the monument. Additionally, the city will host various sporting events at iconic venues, including the Seine River for marathon swimming (although there is some controversy about this) and the Paris La Défense Arena in Nanterre for all swimming events.
The French government is also taking measures to ensure the safety and security of the athletes and spectators
Where Will The Opening Ceremony Take Place in Paris?
The Opening Ceremony for The Paris Olympics will take place at the Trocadéro, with the grand and lavish parade winding through the center of the city along the Seine River. For fans that unfortunately cannot be there in person for the spectacle, they can watch live from their homes on July 26, 2024, starting at 1:30 p.m. ET on NBC. The ceremony will also be aired again for primetime viewers, at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
Check out this Opening Ceremony Watch Guide for More Key Info!
How Will The Opening Ceremony Be Different This Year?
There’s a good reason The Paris Olympics are using “one ceremony, many firsts” to describe this year’s Opening Ceremony. First, rather than holding The Opening Ceremony in a stadium, the ceremony and subsequent parade will be on the street in the heart of Paris.
To add even more novelty to the event, Olympic athletes will be paraded by thousands of spectators on boats floating down the Seine. And because it’s all happening outside, no admission is being charged to watch, making it a once in a lifetime opportunity for Parisians and visitors alike.
Questions About 2024 Paris Olympics
And finally, what’s up next after this Olympics?
When Is the Next Summer Olympics?
Once the Olympic and Paralympic medals have been awarded and the city of Paris returns to the status quo, fans will have to wait another four years until the next iteration of The Olympics come around. The next Olympics will be hosted in Los Angeles, California in 2028.
When Is the Next Winter Olympics?
Fans only need to wait two years for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games, which will take place across Italy.
Watch The Olympics on the Networks of NBCUniversal with DIRECTV
As the countdown to The Paris Olympics continues to dwindle, now is the time to make sure you have everything you need to watch all the historical athleticism live from the comfort of your home. With DIRECTV, you can get access NBCUniversal networks to enjoy the games, plus you can get Peacock at a discount!
- Watch 2024 Paris Olympics Online Streaming | DIRECTV
- Watch Primetime in Paris: The Olympics Online Streaming | DIRECTV
- Watch More Top Moments: Paris Olympics Online Streaming | DIRECTV
- Watch U.S. Olympic Trials Online Streaming | DIRECTV
Don’t have DIRECTV? Let’s change that.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are the 2024 Paris Olympics?
The Paris Olympics are being held from July 26th to August 11th.
Where can I watch the 2024 Olympics in the US?
Fans in the US can catch all Olympics content on NBC and the NBC Universe of networks, including the USA Network, Golf Channel, E!, CNBC and more.
How many athletes will compete for Team USA in the 2024 Olympics?
At this point, more than 400 athletes have qualified to compete for Team USA in the Paris Olympics. By the time the Games begin, the US will have more than 500 athletes participating.
What Is the Main Stadium for The Olympics in Paris?
While there are more than 30 locations in and around Paris hosting Olympic events, main athletics events will be held at the Stade de France in the north of Paris.
What Is the Mascot for the 2024 Paris Olympics?
The official mascots for the Paris Olympics and Paralympics are the Phryges, two personified Phrygian hats that are meant to be a representation of France.
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