How to Listen to the Olympics on Radio

For the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, which ran from February 6 to February 22, iHeartRadio carried 24/7 audio channels with NBCUniversal’s Olympic coverage. For future Olympics, the dependable approach is to find the authorized broadcaster for your country, then use its radio station, app, or live-audio stream rather than searching for one permanent “Olympics frequency.”

Olympic radio coverage changes by country, host broadcaster, and Games. A traditional AM or FM station may carry highlights or selected events, while an app is more likely to offer continuous event audio and on-demand coverage.

How Olympic Radio Coverage Works

The Olympics do not have one worldwide radio frequency. Rights are sold by territory, so coverage can vary by location.

There are three common ways to listen:

Broadcast radio: A radio channel may air coverage.
Official broadcaster apps: These are usually the best option for live event audio because they can create separate channels for simultaneous competitions.
Podcasts and sports shows: Useful for recaps, interviews, medal updates, and previews, but not necessarily live play-by-play.

For a current or upcoming Games, start with the Olympic broadcaster named for your location. Its schedule can change from day to day as events overlap.

How to Listen to Live Olympic Coverage

Choose the listening method that matches what you want to hear and where you will be listening.

What You Want	Best Place to Start	What to Expect
Live event play-by-play	Official broadcaster’s radio app or live-audio page	Event commentary, often with multiple channels
Olympic news while driving	Local sports station or satellite radio	Headlines, interviews, previews, and results
Hockey discussion and updates	SiriusXM NHL Network Radio	Analysis and updates, not Winter Games match broadcasts
Olympic recaps	Broadcaster podcasts, sports-radio shows, and Olympic news feeds	Highlights and discussion after events end

Step 1: Find the Authorized Broadcaster for Your Country

Search for the current Olympics plus your country and the words “radio,” “audio,” or “listen live.” Look for a result from the broadcaster itself.

Use the broadcaster’s own schedule rather than relying on a generic sports-radio listing. An event may be live or available through an app channel.

If a local radio station announces Olympic coverage, check its daily program listing. A station may carry a morning recap but switch back to regular programming during live competition.

Step 2: Use an Official Audio App for Live Events

For the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, iHeartRadio offered 24/7 play-by-play audio channels carrying NBCUniversal’s linear Olympic coverage, with emphasis on Team USA and sports including hockey, figure skating, speed skating, skiing, and snowboarding.

To listen through an app:

Install or open the broadcaster’s audio app on your phone, tablet, computer, smart speaker, or connected-car system.
Search for “Olympics,” the current host city, or the event you want.
Open a channel marked live, play-by-play, or event coverage.
Keep the event page open if several channels are available.
Use headphones or your car’s audio connection if you are listening away from home.

I use a satellite-radio receiver in the car for sports talk, but an official app is the better choice when the goal is the actual Olympic event rather than commentary around it.

Step 3: Check the Event Time Before You Press Play

Olympic schedules use the host city’s local time on many official listings. Convert the start time to your own time zone before an event begins.

Look for these labels:

Live: Happening now.
Upcoming: A scheduled stream that has not started.
Replay: An earlier event, not live coverage.
Highlights or recap: Short updates rather than full competition audio.

If an event is not on the audio channel you expected, search by sport instead of athlete. Broadcasters often organize live audio around sports such as “Alpine skiing,” “women’s hockey,” or “figure skating.”

Step 4: Fix Common Listening Problems

If a stream will not start, try these simple checks:

Confirm that the event is currently live and not scheduled for later.
Refresh the app or close and reopen it.
Try a different connection if one is weak.
Make sure your phone’s media volume is turned up.
Search for the broadcaster’s main channel if a sport-specific channel is unavailable.

A station’s regular live stream may not include every program. Use the broadcaster’s dedicated page or app channel.

Listening to Olympic Hockey on SiriusXM

SiriusXM NHL Network Radio is useful for Olympic hockey coverage around the games, including updates, previews, interviews, and analysis. Tune to SiriusXM NHL Network Radio on Channel 91 through a SiriusXM-equipped car radio or the SiriusXM app.

SiriusXM’s Olympic hockey service provides coverage surrounding the tournament but does not carry Winter Games game broadcasts.

That distinction matters when a puck drop is near. A sports-talk channel can be excellent for roster news, reactions, and expert discussion, while the authorized broadcaster’s event channel is the place to hear the game itself.

Finding a Radio Frequency or Local Station

There is no single AM or FM frequency for the Olympics. A frequency is assigned to an individual local station, and that station decides whether it will carry Olympic programming.

To find local coverage:

Search the websites of sports, news, and public-radio stations in your area.
Check each station’s schedule on the day of the event.
Look for words such as “Olympic updates,” “special coverage,” “Team USA,” or the host city name.
If a station has an app, compare the broadcast schedule with the app stream; they may not carry identical programming.

Satellite radio works differently. Instead of tuning an AM or FM frequency, you select a channel number. For Olympic hockey updates on SiriusXM, that channel is Channel 91.

A portable AM/FM radio can still be useful during the Games, especially for local news breaks and drive-time sports reports. It is less reliable for full, event-by-event coverage because stations have limited airtime and regular programs to carry.

Free, Canada, and International Listening Options

Free Listening Options

Olympic audio may be available through a broadcaster’s app or radio station. Some services may require a free account, while others are available without signing in.

Free coverage may be limited to selected events, updates, or a broadcaster’s main feed. If a free station does not carry the event you want, it does not necessarily mean the event has no radio coverage; it may be on a separate official stream.

Podcasts are also free in many cases, but they are best for catching up. Search for Olympic news shows, sport-specific podcasts, and daily recap programs after competition ends.

Listening in Canada

In Canada, check the authorized broadcaster’s website or app for live audio and radio schedules.

A service may offer a different lineup from one day to the next. Confirm that the listed stream matches the sport and event you want to hear.

Listening Outside Your Home Country

If you only need results and analysis, international sports stations, Olympic podcasts, and news broadcasters can be useful alternatives. For live competition audio, choose a stream identified as live event coverage.

Confirm You Have the Right Olympic Audio Feed

Before settling in for an event, use this quick check:

The stream identifies the current Olympics or the current host city.
The program is marked live rather than replay or highlights.
The sport and event match what you intend to hear.
The announcers are calling competition, not discussing it in a studio.
The audio is playing rather than showing an error message.

If all five are true, you have likely found the right feed. Save the channel or station in your app favorites before the next event.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the frequency of the Olympics?

The Olympics do not have one radio frequency. AM and FM frequencies belong to local stations, and any Olympic programming depends on whether that station has scheduled authorized coverage. Satellite services use channel numbers instead; SiriusXM NHL Network Radio is on Channel 91 for Olympic hockey updates and analysis.

Where can I listen to sports radio for free?

You can often listen free through local AM/FM station apps, broadcaster websites, news-radio streams, and podcast platforms. Free sports radio is usually best for results, interviews, talk shows, and highlights; live Olympic event audio may require the current rights holder’s app or stream.

Can I listen to the Olympics on the radio in Canada?

You may be able to listen if the broadcaster offers radio, audio streams, or app-based coverage. Check that broadcaster’s schedule because U.S. Olympic audio services may have different availability and rights in Canada.

Where can I listen to Olympic hockey radio?

For hockey updates, previews, and analysis, SiriusXM NHL Network Radio is available on Channel 91 in SiriusXM-equipped cars and in the SiriusXM app. For live Olympic hockey game play-by-play, use the official broadcaster’s event-audio channel because Channel 91 does not carry Winter Games match broadcasts.

What station is broadcasting the Olympics?

The answer depends on the Olympic Games, your country, and the day’s schedule. Search for the authorized Olympic broadcaster in your location, then check its radio stations and app channels for the particular sport or event you want to hear.