It's almost time to watch the Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony online The Olympic Opening Ceremony kicks off two weeks of world-class sporting competition, featuring some of the biggest and brightest star athletes from around the world

The opening ceremony of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics will be very different from those of previous years Usually, this event is filled with stunning spectacle and poetic pomp However, due to the COVID-19 epidemic, spectators will not be filling Tokyo's National Stadium

Flag bearers and athletes will continue to march in the Parade of Nations, but not all 613 members of Team USA will attend the opening ceremony As in previous years, some athletes will be absent to rest before the competition It is also unclear how many athletes will be allowed to participate due to social distance restrictions

But even without live spectators and restricted national delegations, the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics should be memorable, thanks to the historic one-year delay and the ongoing global health crisis

Here's what you need to know to watch the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony

The Olympics are a global event and can be seen in almost every country on earth However, if you are not in your country and cannot watch the Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony through your regular service, or if you prefer to watch in your native language, you are not out of luck

A virtual private network, or VPN, allows you to access the same streaming services you are already paying for by pretending you are surfing the web from your hometown (or anywhere else not hit by power outages) VPNs are completely legal, inexpensive, and easy to use

Not sure which VPN is right for you? After testing a variety of services, the best VPN overall is ExpressVPN It offers great speed and excellent customer service However, there are other VPN options out there

The VPN is incredibly easy to use

1 Install the VPN of your choice As we have mentioned, ExpressVPN is our favorite

2 select the location you want to connect to with the VPN app For example, if you are in the US and want to see UK services, select UK from the list

3 Sit back and enjoy the action Go to your favorite website or streaming service and tune in

In the US, the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics will be broadcast live on NBC on Friday, July 23 at 6:55 am ET It will also be streamed live on the NBC Sports app and NBCOlympicscom

NBC will also rebroadcast the opening ceremony in primetime at 7:30 PM ET Another rebroadcast is set for nighttime

If you cut cable and cannot watch NBC, you can access these channels on Sling TV and Fubo TV

Peacock will not be live streaming the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics, but the service will show highlights and must-see moments from the event

The free tier of Peacock Free, NBCUniversal's streaming platform, streams all major Olympic events, daily live shows, full event replays, and curated highlights Peacock is also the only place where US viewers can watch the gymnastics and track and field events in real time (due to the 13-hour time difference between Tokyo and New York)

The only exception: if you want to watch live coverage of Team USA men's basketball, you must upgrade to Peacock Premium ($499/month) or ad-free Premium Plus ($999/month)

Britons can watch the entire Olympics, including the opening ceremony, without commercials for free on the BBC or stream event BBC iPlayer

The opening ceremony will be broadcast on Friday, July 23 at 12 pm BST

If you are traveling outside the UK and have a valid UK passport Even without a TV license, you can watch all the games with the best VPN services like ExpressVPN

Canadians can watch the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony on CBS starting at 7:00 AM ET

Sportsnet, TSN, and CBC all stream various Olympic events online if you log in with your cable provider or sign up for a stand-alone package Sportsnet is $1999/month, and TSN, which is streaming only, is $499/day or $1999/month

If you travel out of the country, you can use ExpressVPN to access the paid service

Downunder, Aussies can watch the Tokyo Olympics for free on the network's 7Plus streaming service

The opening ceremony will be broadcast at 9 pm ET

I am currently out of the country Please use ExpressVPN to access paid services