Considering that NBC will live stream every second of competition during the Sochi Winter Olympics to those with a pay-TV subscription, it came as a bit of a surprise when the network announced in early January that it will delay airing the opening ceremony for eight and a half hours.
NBC Universal executives explained that streaming the grandiose ceremony so early in the day (U.S. viewers on the East Coast would have seen it at 11 a.m.) would be both confusing and underwhelming.
Of course, this poses a problem for Twitter users, as viewers in other countries without restrictions will spoil the event. U.S. viewers hoping to watch BBC or CBC coverage are also out of luck, as those stations are required to restrict streaming access to U.S. viewers due to broadcast rights.
For those keen on watching and following the opening ceremony, we've compiled the following guide.
On Television
If you're a viewer in the U.S. who doesn't mind waiting eight and a half hours to watch the ceremony, you can always watch the event on NBC when it begins. Canadian and European viewers will be able to watch the ceremony without a tape delay, so check your providers' schedule to find out when the event will be broadcast.
On Twitter
Team Japan is the 1st one to be officially greeted at the Coastal Olympic Village Welcome to #Sochi2014! pic.twitter.com/7aNlfroUWs— Sochi 2014 (@Sochi2014) February 2, 2014
For a behind-the-scenes look, you can follow the athletes, reporters and attendees who will be at the opening ceremony as it happens. The @Sochi2014 account will cover the event, as well as the major broadcasting corporations outside the U.S., such as the @CBCOlympics account or any number of BBC reporters who will be covering the ceremony from Sochi.
Nighttime on the Olympic Park in Sochi. Here's the beautifully blue Bolshoy Ice Dome which will host ice hockey: pic.twitter.com/Yp3F3J4M0A— Nick Hope (@NickHopeBBC) February 3, 2014
Twitter has already compiled a handy list of verified Olympians, and you can watch the stream update in real-time while the ceremony is underway.
On Instagram
If the days leading up to the big event are any indication, athletes and reporters will likely take to Instagram to share photos of the ceremony as it happens. The New York Times put together a list of 10 notable olympians who are active on the network and worth a follow leading up to the ceremony.