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Where to watch the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony in Canada: Free stream, TV channels, Celine Dion performance updates, flag bearers and more

The world's top athletes and performers have officially arrived in Paris, which includes Team Canada

Bryan Meler
·Senior Editor, Yahoo Canada
Team Canada will be on full display for the opening ceremony, which will reportedly include Celine Dion for a special performance. (Credit, left to right: Mustafa Ciftci/Getty Images, Evan Agostini/AP, Lui Siu Wai/Getty Images)
Team Canada will be on full display for the opening ceremony in Paris. (Credit, left to right: Mustafa Ciftci/Getty Images, Evan Agostini/AP, Lui Siu Wai/Getty Images)

Update: Reruns of the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony will begin broadly at 7:00 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on Friday, July 26. If you have a cable package, such as through Bell or Rogers, you’re covered; just look for CBC, TSN 1/4 or Sportsnet. You can also stream the opening ceremony for free on CBC Gem, the public broadcaster's streaming service.

In the meantime, don't miss out on Yahoo Canada's coverage. That includes Team Canada's arrival at the Olympics, as they went through the Seine in historic fashion, as well as reaction to Celine Dion's breathtaking performance to help close out the ceremony.

Getty Images

Olympics opening ceremony

Watch the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony for free on CBC Gem. 

Free at CBC Gem

Below is an older copy of this story that was published ahead of the ceremony:

The 2024 Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony will bring the world together in unique fashion. Starting at 1:30 p.m. ET on Friday, July 26, there are plenty of ways for Canadians to tune in, either on TV or with streaming platforms — such as for free with CBC Gem.

For the first time in history, the opening ceremony won’t be taking place in a stadium. Instead, it will be held on the Seine River, as national delegations make their way through the centre of the city by boat. That includes Team Canada and its 337 Olympic athletes, featuring Andre De Grasse, Summer McIntosh and for the first time since 2000, a men’s basketball team — led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Going from east to west over a six-kilometre route, the parade will finish at the Trocadéro, which overlooks the Eiffel Tower. From there, the opening ceremony’s finale will take place, which will include remarks by French President Emmanuel Macron. Along with the parade, performances are expected, with reports of Canadian icon Celine Dion making her return to the stage.

For everything you need to know, read below.

Date: July 26, 2024

Kickoff time: 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT

Streaming: TSN, CBC Gem

TV channel: TSN, Sportsnet, CBC News Network, NBC

Location: Paris, France

The opening ceremony parade will begin at 1:30 p.m. ET on Friday, July 26. National delegations will begin moving down the Seine starting from at the Austerlitz Bridge beside the Jardin des Plantes.

Pre-ceremony coverage will begin at 1 p.m. ET, for the CBC broadcast. NBC’s preview show will begin at noon.

Reruns of the ceremony will begin broadly at 7:00 p.m. ET for Canadian broadcasters, with NBC starting theirs at 7:30.

If you have a cable package, such as through Bell or Rogers, you’re covered. Just look for CBC, TSN 1/4, Sportsnet or NBC.

You can watch the opening ceremony on CBC Gem, the public broadcaster's free streaming service.

You can also use your TV provider login on TSN’s website to watch online. Digital services like Rogers Ignite TV and Bell Fibe are also options to access TSN, Sportsnet, CBC and NBC.

Getty Images

Olympics opening ceremony

Watch the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony for free on CBC Gem. 

Free at CBC Gem

CBC Gem, as well as digital watch services like Rogers Ignite TV and Bell Fibe, are available through apps that you can download for most devices, such as your phone.

No official lineup has been released, with event director Thomas Jolly keeping things firmly under wraps. However, buzz about Celine Dion performing continues to grow.

French journalist Thierry Moreau shared on X that Dion will be performing, which will include a duet with Lady Gaga for “La vie en rose” by Edith Piaf. The news has also been reported by TMZ, after both superstars were seen arriving in Paris earlier this week.

It would mark Dion’s first performance since revealing her Stiff-Person Syndrome diagnosis in December 2022. The Canadian icon also recently made headlines after her empowering documentary, “I am: Celine Dion.”

France’s Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, and Macron neither confirmed nor denied if Dion will be performing, among a lineup that will feature hundreds of dancers, musicians and actors.

In an April interview with Vogue France, Dion teased that a comeback may be in the works. She also recently voiced a video for Canadian Olympians called “L'invincible courage.”

“I’ve chosen to work with all my body and soul, from head to toe, with a medical team. I want to be the best I can be," said Dion. "My goal is to see the Eiffel Tower again!”

Representing Canada as its flag bearers will be Andre De Grasse of Markham, Ont., and Maude Charron of Rimouski, Que.

With six medals, De Grasse is Canada’s most decorated man in Summer Olympics history. That includes winning gold in the men’s 200 metre race in Tokyo 2020. Charron also finished with gold in the women's weightlifting 64-kilogram division.

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