TV Answer Man, do you know if Dish will have the Olympics in 4K! Could you please update us? — Darla, Lexington, Kentucky.
Darla, NBC’s coverage of the 2022 Winter Olympics from Beijing, China began Wednesday of this week and runs until February 20. The network announced last month that it will offer a live 4K feed of the opening and closing ceremonies as well as a nightly three-hour primetime show and wrap-up show following the local 11 p.m. news. The 4K coverage begins today at 6:30 a.m. with the opening ceremony.
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Comcast, Altice’s Optimum, FuboTV, Verizon and YouTube TV will provide NBC’s live 4K feeds in select markets while DIRECTV and Cox will offer a delayed 4K broadcast. See this article for more details.
But what about Dish, nation’s second largest satellite TV service?
Sorry, the answer is no. Although Dish has offered previous Olympics broadcasts in 4K, it’s not doing this one in the format. The company has not explained why, but it’s worth repeating that DIRECTV is only offering that delayed 4K broadcast, too. DIRECTV and Dish haven’t said this, but you have to wonder if there are some technological restrictions that is making this live 4K feed more difficult for the satcasters.
Darla, sorry I don’t have better news for you. But if you want to watch the Olympics in 4K, you’ll have to get another pay TV service. Unlike Fox, NBC does not provide its 4K programming via an app. You have to watch it on special 4K channels from your TV provider.
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The bigger problem is all the DMA’s that will not receive the Olympics via their local NBC station because of the Tegna/Dish squabble. Good luck helping them (especially the elderly) download and figure out how to watch via Peacock.
I have read that the China olympics viewership is down about 60% from the last games. Looks like Dish made a good call.