The Rio Olympics offer yet another feast of football in this busy summer of 2016. In the past, Canadian viewers were out of luck if they wanted to see any matches; especially from the men’s tournament. While Canada’s Women’s team will be the focus of television coverage again this year, there’s still ways to look beyond our national side to a lot of the great soccer action the Olympics have to offer.
Let’s start with television. CBC, TSN & Sportsnet have teamed up for the television rights for the 2016 Rio Olympics. They are your Canadian TV destination for all things Olympic.
CBC’s focus is almost completely on Canadian athletes and the big events. You’ll be able to watch Canada’s Women’s National Team matches in their entirety on CBC for as far as they go in the tournament. It’s likely they will also show the Gold & Bronze medal matches from both the Women’s & Men’s tournaments.
TSN & Sportsnet may have soccer matches from both the men’s & women’s tournaments, but nothing is set in stone. Their daily coverage is fluid, so you’ll have to check their daily schedule to see what events they’ll feature. They may also become home to medal matches if CBC chooses to showcase a different event during those timeslots.
While the TV options are unclear, the online options in Canada are excellent. CBC.CA is streaming most, if not all of the matches from both tournaments. Click here for today’s list of events. Note that this is only available to Canadian viewers.
NBC holds the TV rights in the U.S., and you may be able to see their coverage through their local affiliates. However, virtually all of their soccer coverage has been moved to specialty channels and are unavailable in Canada. Their streaming coverage is also blocked to Canadian viewers. If the U.S. Women’s National Team goes beyond the Quarter-Final round, there’s a chance that their remaining matches may find their way to the full NBC network.
One radio note. TSN Radio stations across Canada will be providing play-by-play of matches involving Canada’s Women’s National Team.
So, in short, online streaming with CBC is your best bet to watch Olympic soccer in 2016. Enjoy!