The 2024 edition of the Olympic Games was a showstopper – world records were broken, underdogs won big, and some truly exquisite memes were born. Now that we've said au revoir to Paris, however, you might be feeling an Olympic-sized hole in your life where daily streams of competitive sports used to be.
The good news is that there are still plenty of sporting competitions going on around the world. So, whether you're a die-hard follower of one of the Olympic events or found something new to enjoy this year, the action doesn't stop for long.
To tune in, all you need is one of today's best VPNs. They're easy to use, even if you're totally new to the tech, and work just like any other app or program. Keep reading, and I'll cover some of the most exciting upcoming events, how you can check them out with a VPN, and how it all works.
Track and field
Paris' chic lilac track and jam-packed Stade de France stadium was a massive draw at this year's Games – and with global superstars like Sha'Carri Richardson and Kishane Thompson stepping onto the stage, it's no wonder why.
A Peacock subscription also bags you access to Untitled: The Noah Lyles Project, a behind-the-scenes documentary following the athlete's journey to conquer the Men's 200m world record.
Regardless of whether 100m sprints, javelin throwing, or pole vaulting is your thing, there's plenty of athletics to sink your teeth into as we move into the latter half of August.
The Lausanne edition of the Wanda Diamond League takes place on August 22nd, with track meets in Silesia and Rome following shortly after (August 24th and 30th, respectively), and you can follow along with this showcase of athletics via Peacock. All you need is a subscription and a VPN – then, just join a server in the US.
- Wanda Diamond League – Lausanne, August 22
- Wanda Diamond League – Silesia, August 25
- Wanda Diamond League – Rome, August 30
Cycling
Okay, so, there's no denying that France is the place to be when it comes to cycling. The Paris Olympics didn't disappoint, either, with high-octane road and track events.
The cream of the crop of the cycling world has returned to Europe to take part in the Tour de Pologne in what promises to be a gripping 81st edition of the event.
The race is part of the UCI World Tour, and you can follow along with the event (and see whether Matej Mohoric can pull off the elusive back-to-back title defense) via the Polish TVP service or, if you're in North America, FloBikes.
This year's race starts in Wroclaw and, after a 1,036.2 km trek, riders will cross the finish line in Kraków on August 18th.
Don't worry if track cycling is more your thing – because there's plenty to enjoy at this year's UCI Track Cycling World Championships. The event starts on August 16th and runs until October 20th, emanating from Denmark, and marks the 121st anniversary of the Championships.
You can check out the following track staples (with male and female events) via Amazon Prime Video, Eurosport, and Discovery.
- Team and individual sprint
- Team and individual pursuit
- Keirin
- Madison
- Omnium
Skateboarding
Skateboarding is one of the newer Olympic events – but one that's already made a huge mark on the Games. Making its debut in Tokyo, back in 2021, skateboarding is set to return for the 2028 LA Olympics – but you don't need to wait another four years to see today's top skating stars do their gravity-defying thing.
The Rockstar Energy Open, in Portland, Oregon, is gearing up for a fresh showcase of street and park skateboarding competitions.
Japan netted an impressive total of 4 skateboarding medals at the 2024 Games, 2 gold and 2 silver.
Running from August 23 to 25, the event is set to showcase the best of street skating, as well as music and art from the subculture, with more than 100 competitors ready to take part in the up-and-coming celebrations.
While not as prolific as other mainstream events, you can still watch the skateboarding pros go head to head via live stream through the Platform channels, CaffeineTV, Proseiben, and FuelTV.
Football
Even with the Olympics over, soccer is still the most popular sport in the world – and the Premier League kicks off the 24/25 season tonight (August 16th) as Fulham take on Manchester United at Old Trafford. You can follow your favorite team (and their closest rivals) whether you're in the UK, overseas, or traveling to chase some sunshine – all you need is a VPN and nerves of steel.
In the UK, the Premiere League will be broadcast by TNT Sports and Sky Sports. In the US, you'll need a Sling TV or Fubo TV subscription.
Week 1 fixtures:
- Man Utd vs Fulham (Fri)
- Ipswich Town vs Liverpool (Sat)
- Arsenal vs Wolves (Sat)
- Everton vs Brighton (Sat)
- Newcastle vs Southampton (Sat)
- Nott’m Forest vs Bournemouth (Sat)
- West Ham vs Aston Villa (Sat)
- Brentford vs Crystal Palace (Sun)
- Chelsea vs Man City (Sun)
- Leicester vs Tottenham (Mon)
Basketball
The United States scooped two massive gold medals at the 2024 Olympics – the men's and women's teams lit the court on fire to win their respective tournaments. If the competition in Paris whetted your appetite, well, you won't have to wait long to take a bite of the action, because the NBA season is due to get underway in October.
On October 22, the Boston Celtics will welcome the New York Knicks, while the Minnesota Timberwolves take on the Los Angeles Lakers in the evening.
By far the easiest way to follow the NBA schedule is with an NBA League Pass – though there are a few alternatives, too. Fubo TV, Hulu, and ESPN will cover the action in the US, and TNT is the place to be for UK-based basketball fans.
Tennis
Serbia's Novak Djokovic and China's Zheng Qinwen both bagged a gold medal at the Paris Games, this year, and while Djokovic isn’t competing in the 2024 Cincinnati Open, Zheng hopes to rack up another massive victory at the tournament before August is over.
The 2024 Cincinnati Open runs from August 13th to August 19th and is widely broadcast from the States. With a Fubo TV, Amazon Prime, Roku, or YouTube TV subscription, and a VPN if you’re outside of America, you'll be able to see today's tennis stars battle it out on the iconic Ohio hard court.
How does it work
The main job of a virtual private network (VPN) is to protect your digital privacy – preventing dodgy snoopers from getting hold of your personal details. However, lots of people also use VPNs to unblock streaming content from around the world.
If you've got a Netflix account, you'll already know that the content offered by streaming services varies from country to country. Why? Well, it's all thanks to licensing agreements that dictate where these platforms can broadcast certain shows, movies, and events.
We've put today’s top services to the test to figure out which ones reliably unblock streaming platforms. Check out our best streaming VPN rankings for the details.
Ultimately, that means that someone in the US might have access to something that someone in the UK doesn’t.
Fortunately, a VPN levels the playing field for everyone. Connect to a VPN server in the United States and you'll be assigned an IP address based in the States, too. When you reload your streaming platform of choice, it'll see your new IP address, think you're America, and serve up all the content that's usually reserved for folks in the US.
FAQs
Can I use a free VPN to stream sports?
A free VPN usually isn't a good choice for streaming. They often impose limitations, like bandwidth caps and data limits, that make streaming long-form or live content difficult. Plus, as most free services offer a smaller pool of servers to choose from, unblocking location-specific events can be just as tricky. You're better off with a premium provider (like NordVPN) that can handle HD and 4K streams.
Can I use a VPN to stream sports on my mobile?
Yes, and there are plenty of awesome mobile VPNs to choose from. VPNs usually offer apps via the Play Store or App Store, which you can download and use just like any other app.
Is using a VPN legal?
Using a VPN is legal in most countries, yes. It's worth remembering, however, that while using a VPN may be legal, the things you do while connected to one can still break the law.
Disclaimer
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
