NBC will stream the 2014 Winter Olympic sporting events in real time, but Friday's opening ceremony was the one thing you couldn't watch live in the United States. While it started at 8 p.m. local time in Sochi (11 a.m. ET), the ceremony didn't air until primetime in the U.S.
But we covered the event in real time. Read the reverse-chronological updates below -- spoiler alert! -- to experience all the viral moments, dramaturgy and pageantry of the opening ceremony the way it was supposed to be -- live.