How to live stream the Paralympics for free online and watch the 2020 Tokyo Games where you are

Its time for Paralympians to go for gold in Tokyo, with a number of options to get a free Paralympics live stream around the globe

Paralympic games promotional banner at Tocho building
(Image credit: MAHATHIR MOHD YASIN / Shutterstock)

Much like the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the Paralympics was also put on hold from its original scheduled date last summer. However, you can expect an extraordinary array of athletic talent in the coming weeks as we give you all the info on how to get a free Paralympics live stream so you can keep tabs on all the latest action and watch Tokyo 2020 wherever you are.

Consisting of a total of 539 events across 22 different sports, there are plenty of gold medals up for grabs and sports unique to the Paralympics, including goalball and boccia. Tokyo 2020 will also see Paralympic firsts, including badminton and taekwondo. 

A celebration of diversity, it's certainly geared up to be an exceptional fortnight of the very best sporting talent. Luckily we're providing you with all the ways to get a free Paralympics live stream, with options to watch Tokyo 2020 at no cost in a number of regions. Outside of the country and want to access your native broadcaster? Why not try a VPN to bypass geo-restrictions?

When is the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games?

Taking place for just under two weeks, the 2020 Paralympic Games begins on Tuesday, August 24 and ends on Sunday, September 5.

How to watch the Paralympics for free if you're outside of the country

If you're out of the country at any point during the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, you can still get access to a live stream of every sport and discipline by making use of our best VPN to get past those geo-restrictions. 

With most domestic broadcasters locking streaming services to their country, you may hit a wall when it comes to accessing the likes of All4, 7 Plus, and CBC when overseas. However, by getting yourself a handy streaming VPN, you can hop on a server within the US or UK (or anywhere else for that matter depending on where your online content is geo-restricted to), and this will switch your IP address to make it appear as if you're browsing right from the comfort of your own home.


ExpressVPN is our pick of VPN providers

<a href="https://go.expressvpn.com/c/4550836/1330033/16063?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.expressvpn.com%2Ft3%3Foffer%3D3monthsfree%26a_fid%3D744" data-link-merchant="expressvpn.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">ExpressVPN is our pick of VPN providers - With its consistent high speeds, and wealth of security features, alongside its ability to unlock geo-restricted content, you can watch 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games for free.

Better still, it offers new customers a <a href="https://go.expressvpn.com/c/4550836/1330033/16063?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.expressvpn.com%2Ft3%3Foffer%3D3monthsfree%26a_fid%3D744" data-link-merchant="expressvpn.com"" data-link-merchant="expressvpn.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">30-day money back guarantee, allowing you to give it a go and find out if it's actually the service for you before you well and truly part with your hard-earned dollar. Better still, right now you can save 49% and receive an additional 3 months with your plan for free.

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How to watch the Paralympics for free in the UK

100% for free

In the UK, Channel 4 is the place to watch comprehensive coverage of the 2021 Paralympics 100% for free. Promising over 300 hours of 24/7 coverage across Channel 4, More 4 will be the place to be for team sports, and <a href="https://www.channel4.com/programmes/paralympics-live/on-demand/73031-001" data-link-merchant="channel4.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">All4 will allow you to watch across an array of devices if you're not able to be in front of the TV.

You can also check out <a href="https://paralympics.channel4.com/" data-link-merchant="paralympics.channel4.com"" data-link-merchant="channel4.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Channel 4's Paralympics microsite, which will host up to 16 Paralympic live streams.

All you need to do is make a free account to watch online on Channel 4.

Not watching on the TV? You can get the All4 app on the following devices:

  • Smart TVs: Samsung, FreeviewPlay
  • Desktop: Windows, Mac
  • Mobile: iOS, Android
  • Media streamers: Amazon Fire TV, Now TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Sky, Virgin Media
  • Consoles: Xbox One, PS4

Won't be in the UK for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games? Don't miss out on the free, no-ads coverage on Channel 4. Residents can simply <a href="https://go.expressvpn.com/c/4550836/1330033/16063?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.expressvpn.com%2Ft3%3Foffer%3D3monthsfree%26a_fid%3D744" data-link-merchant="expressvpn.com"" data-link-merchant="paralympics.channel4.com"" data-link-merchant="channel4.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">download and use a VPN to change their location to appear as if they're in the UK and watch All4 as usual.

How to watch the Paralympic Games for in the US

Image

Much like the Olympics, you'll find a Paralympics live stream in the US split across a number of channels and platforms, though in-depth free coverage is limited with linear TV coverage on cable channels <a href="https://www.nbc.com/" data-link-merchant="nbc.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">NBC and <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/" data-link-merchant="nbcsports.com"" data-link-merchant="nbc.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">NBCSN, and NBC's dedicated streaming service, <a href="https://imp.i305175.net/c/221109/828265/11640?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fpeacocktv.com%2F" data-link-merchant="peacocktv.com"" data-link-merchant="nbcsports.com"" data-link-merchant="nbc.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Peacock TV.

Watch Peacock's free Tokyo Live and Tokyo Today Paralympics shows for highlights and analysis. To dive a bit deeper with Peacock Premium and its coverage of the finals for a number of events, make the most of a <a href="https://imp.i305175.net/c/221109/828265/11640?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fpeacocktv.com%2F" data-link-merchant="peacocktv.com"" data-link-merchant="peacocktv.com"" data-link-merchant="nbcsports.com"" data-link-merchant="nbc.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">7-day free trial for new customers.

For more comprehensive coverage, however, cord cutters will need to subscribe to either <a href="https://sling-tv.pxf.io/c/221109/1132376/14334?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sling.com%2F" data-link-merchant="sling.com"" data-link-merchant="peacocktv.com"" data-link-merchant="peacocktv.com"" data-link-merchant="nbcsports.com"" data-link-merchant="nbc.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Sling TV or <a href="https://geni.us/YkQAuWd" data-link-merchant="geni.us"" data-link-merchant="sling.com"" data-link-merchant="peacocktv.com"" data-link-merchant="peacocktv.com"" data-link-merchant="nbcsports.com"" data-link-merchant="nbc.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">FuboTV. If FuboTV grabs you, you can get a <a href="https://geni.us/YkQAuWd" data-link-merchant="geni.us"" data-link-merchant="geni.us"" data-link-merchant="sling.com"" data-link-merchant="peacocktv.com"" data-link-merchant="peacocktv.com"" data-link-merchant="nbcsports.com"" data-link-merchant="nbc.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">7-day free trial.

With all these services no matter your preference, if you find yourself outside of the US and want to watch your native broadcaster, with the <a href="https://go.expressvpn.com/c/4550836/1330033/16063?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.expressvpn.com%2Ft3%3Foffer%3D3monthsfree%26a_fid%3D744" data-link-merchant="expressvpn.com"" data-link-merchant="geni.us"" data-link-merchant="geni.us"" data-link-merchant="sling.com"" data-link-merchant="peacocktv.com"" data-link-merchant="peacocktv.com"" data-link-merchant="nbcsports.com"" data-link-merchant="nbc.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">help of a VPN you'll be able to watch as if you were home.

okyo taxi with the symbols of the Olympic and Paralympic Games

(Image credit: BT Image / Shutterstock)

How to watch the Paralympics for free around the rest of the world

Bringing together the globe's very best athletes, there are plenty of options outside the UK and US to bag a free Paralympics live stream for all the action in Tokyo, with the likes of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand offering completely free to watch options.

In Canada, you can watch lots of Paralympics coverage for free through CBC. While you'd usually expect to pay to get the most from the platform, we've found there to be loads of free Tokyo 2020 coverage available absolutely free on its website and through its device apps.

Down Under in Australia, you can benefit from a free Paralympics live stream. All the coverage will be available to watch on Channel 7 on linear TV and online through its on-demand service, 7Plus

For those across the pond in New Zealand, you have the option of watching for free on TVNZ Duke and TVNZ OnDemand.

For other options to live stream the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics Games for free around the world, we couldn't find a more comprehensive list than the dedicated Wikipedia page. Here you'll find a list of countries and their corresponding broadcasters for the 2021 Paralympics, many of which won't be behind a paywall.

And, of course, if you're not going to be in the country and want to watch the Paralympics for free through your preferred broadcaster, you can make the most of a VPN to bypass geo-restrictions and stream Tokyo 2020.

Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games schedule

  • Paralympics Opening Ceremony - August 24
  • Archery - August 27 - September 4
  • Athletics - August 27 - September 5
  • Badminton - September 1-5
  • Boccia - August 28 - September 4
  • Canoe Sprint - September 2-4
  • Cycling Road - August 31 - September 3
  • Cycling Track - August 25-28
  • Equestrian - August 26-30
  • Football 5-a-side - August 29 - September 4
  • Golf - July 29 - August 7
  • Goalball - August 25 - September 3
  • Judo - August 27-29
  • Powerlifting - August 26-30
  • Rowing - August 27-29
  • Shooting - August 30 - September 5
  • Sitting Volleyball - August 27 - September 5
  • Swimming - August 25 - September 3
  • Table Tennis - August 25 - September 3
  • Taekwondo - September 2-4
  • Triathlon - August 28-29
  • Wheelchair Basketball - August 25 - September 5
  • Wheelchair Fencing - August 25-29
  • Wheelchair Rugby - August 25-29
  • Wheelchair Tennis - August 27 - September 4
  • Paralympics Closing Ceremony - September 5

How to watch using a VPN

When it comes to ensuring you don't miss a moment of the action when it comes a free Paralympics live stream, no matter where you are in the world, a VPN can prove to be your best friend and one of the handiest pieces of software going. Allowing you to watch your broadcaster of choice even if you're not in the country, VPN is the key to unlocking a whole library of geo-restricted content. But how?

  • VPN - standing for virtual private network - offers security and anomality as you browse online, using set protocols to encrypt your data and make it unreadable to outsiders.
  • As a part of that, you can also switch your IP address, which identifies your location.
  • Most VPNs offer a list of locations where its servers are based to join. Connecting to them switches your IP to appear as if you're browsing from that country/city. In turn, you can then access content locked to that country.
  • When it comes to finding a VPN, you should make sure you find the best one that's suitable for your chosen device, with VPN providers offering compatibility for a ton of devices, including VPN for Mac, VPN for Android smartphones, an iPad VPN, and even a range of fairly nifty free VPNs.
  • Once you've made the decision for the most suitable VPN for your device and your means for using a VPN, sign-up and install it
  • To watch Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, all you need to do is select a country/city from its list of available servers and connect. You'll then be able to hop over those geo-restrictions with streaming services opening its online gates to you.
  • We'd recommend doing a test run before the start of the Paralympics to ensure it does work so you don't miss a moment of Tokyo 2020.
  • We also want to ensure your money is well spent, too, so would recommend going for a VPN that offers a risk free trial. ExpressVPN is one of many providers that has a 30-day money back guarantee.

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Alice Marshall
eCommerce Editor

Alice is eCommerce Editor at Future, with a focus on streaming services such as Disney Plus, Hulu, and HBO Max, as well as VPN. Nowadays she looks after and writes guides and how to watch articles across TechRadar and CinemaBlend. Previously a Commercial Content Writer for Trusted Reviews, Alice has worked in the eCommerce space for over five years and over two years writing about consumer tech.