How to watch Handball at Olympics 2020: key dates, schedule, live stream and more

Players moving at lightning speed and pulling off deft manoeuvres that are difficult even to comprehend? That’s handball for you. The only thing that moves faster than the players is the ball itself, which zooms around like a comet. This is a truly explosive sport, so read on as we explain how to watch a handball live stream of all the Olympics 2020 action.

On the men’s side, Denmark is the defending Olympic champion. With two consecutive world championships under its belt, the team looks ready to take on the Tokyo Olympics. But with France, Spain, and Norway in the competition, gold will not come easily to the Danes.

In the women’s category, the Russians won the 2016 Olympics, but they didn’t qualify for this one. You’ll want to look out for Norway, the Netherlands, and France, all of which have solid teams this time out in Tokyo, where the architecturally stunning Yoyogi National Stadium hosts the competition.

Follow our guide below as we look at the key event dates and explain how you can watch handball at Olympics 2020 live from your country. For additional information on the other sporting events, check out this detailed article on where to find an Olympics live stream of all the action.

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Olympics 2020 handball: key dates and times

• Men's Bronze Medal Match: Saturday, August 7 from 5:00 pm JST / 9:00 am BST / 4:00 am ET
• Men's Gold Medal Match: Saturday, August 7 from 9:00 pm JST / 1:00 pm BST / 8:00 am ET
• Women’s Bronze Medal Match: Saturday, August 7 from 10:00 pm ET / Sunday, August 8 from 11:00 am JST / 3:00 am BST 
• Women’s Gold Medal Match: Sunday, August 8 from 3:00 pm JST / 7:00 am BST / 2:00 am ET

Free Olympics handball live stream 2021

Numerous broadcasters worldwide are televising the Tokyo Olympics, and fortunately, lots of them are free-to-air. If you want wide coverage of the Games, it’s a good idea to choose a domestic broadcaster. TVNZ in New Zealand, RTE in Ireland, BBC and the iPlayer streaming service in the UK, and Channel 7 in Australia are all providing free live coverage. Continue reading to learn how you can live stream the Tokyo Olympics from where you are. 

How to watch your Olympics live stream when abroad

Sports fans wanting to watch an Olympics live stream in 2021 should be able to access their usual free or paid coverage from all over the world. While geo-blocking typically restricts coverage when overseas to local providers - and some places of work, study or even leisure may stop you from streaming because of bandwidth restrictions - there's a really easy way to solve these issues.

The answer is as simple as downloading and installing the best VPN service, which will then allow you to tell your computer, phone, tablet or other device that it's in a different country. This means you can tune in to your usual coverage from home, wherever you are, without having to resort to an illegal stream.

Use a VPN to watch Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games from anywhere

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Using a VPN is really simple - as easy as one-two-three, in fact!

1. Download and install a VPN - as we say, our top overall choice is ExpressVPN, which represents the best solution for most sports fans this Olympics

2. Connect to the appropriate server location - open the VPN app, hit 'choose location' and select the country where your home broadcaster is based

3. Go to the broadcaster's live stream - so if you're from the UK, just head to BBC iPlayer and log-in as usual

That's all there is to it! You'll now be able to watch all the Olympics action just like you would from the comfort of your own sofa.

FREE Olympics handball live stream in the UK

The BBC is broadcasting the Olympics live for free in the UK, and residents can watch it with a TV license. BBC One and Two will telecast hundreds of hours of live footage from Tokyo, and viewers can also use the online BBC iPlayer service to catch the events.

More extensive coverage can be found on Discovery+ and Eurosport. Their subscription plans start at £4.99/month and £6.99/month, respectively. As well as on the usual Android and iOS devices, you can access these platforms on Samsung TV, Chromecast, Xbox, and more.

Those looking for how to watch the Olympics in 4K Ultra HD will find their options limited to Eurosport's UHD feed - available to those with a Sky Q subscription and box.

Not in the UK for the Olympics? You can always view the Games by using a VPN to connect to servers in the country.   

How to watch Olympics handball in the US without cable and on TV

In the US, NBC has the TV airing rights for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, so cable users with NBC will have access to all the events. They’ll also have the option to watch it online on NBC’s streaming platform at no extra cost.

If you don’t have cable, you’ll have to subscribe to OTT services that have the NBC channel to stream the games. Peacock TV, Sling TV and fuboTV are some of the available options.  

Is Peacock, Sling TV or fuboTV best for the Olympics?

In terms of the best overall value, NBCSN comes as part of the $35 a month Sling Blue package, which also offers NBC proper in most major metro area markets. Check the Sling website for special offers  - there's usually something eye-catching on. For example, at the time of writing your first month for only $10.

fuboTV is the best cable alternative and priced accordingly, costing $64.99/month. But comes with a 1-week free trial and is a complete replacement service with all the NBC channels available in your area

We'd recommend both sports fans, depending on how much of the Olympics they want to watch.

 At $4.99/month, Peacock TV is the cheapest option and provides a free trial of its own - though note that much of its programming schedule is focussed on the highlights of the Games, not live coverage.

Which devices are supported?

All these streaming platforms are available on the Google Chrome Browser, Apple TV, Fire TV, Xbox One, iOS, Android, and many other devices. For more on which NBC channel is showing what and when, check out the network giant's website.

How to watch Olympics handball in Canada

 CBC, TSN, Sportsnet, and TLN are all broadcasting Olympics 2020 in Canada. Cable subscribers can watch the games if they have any of these channels. 

Cord-cutters will have to subscribe to CBC, TSN, or Sportsnet’s online streaming services to view the games. TSN and Sportsnet’s streaming services cost CAD 19.99/month, but CBC offers free streaming. TLN doesn’t have a streaming service currently. 

Want to watch your coverage from abroad? Then don't forget that using a VPN is a great way to watch coverage overseas.

How to live stream handball at the Olympics for FREE in Australia

 In Australia, Channel 7 has exclusive airing rights for the Tokyo Olympics. The live coverage will be broadcast for free on 7Two and 7Mate.

To view the games online for free, you can use Channel 7’s streaming service, 7plus - available on web browsers, iOS, Android, LG TV, Chromecast, and more. 

Not in Australia? Use a VPN if you're away from home, in order to tap into your local Olympics coverage.

More 2020 Olympics broadcasters around the world

If you're not in one of these countries, don't worry - the Olympics are being shown in most places around the world, though you might not luck out with free streaming and coverage levels vary considerably by location.

You can check what's on offer where you are with the help of the dedicated Wikipedia page of all of the world's Olympic Games channels.

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