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Team USA and its Men’s basketball squad will never live up to the lofty heights of the Dream Team of the 1990s and some fans realize the comparisons are both unfair and necessary. That said, the current Team USA team defeated Team France in a nail-biting gold medal game that was the most-watched contest of its sort since the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
Team USA, which had a tough game against Team Serbia led by Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, took on host nation Team France’s Men’s basketball team with young standout, San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, along with other fellow NBA players Nicolas Batum, Evan Fournier, Rudy Gobert, and Bilal Coulibaly.
On Saturday (August 29), LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant were the unofficial “Big Three” for Team USA with contributions from Anthony Edwards, Derrick White, Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, Devin Booker, and Jrue Holiday. Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton saw limited playing time throughout the entire Olympics. Tatum, who just won the NBA championship this year with the Boston Celtics, did get some playing time in the gold game.
Deadline reports that viewership numbers were released and the event was the most-watched gold medal basketball game since the 1996 Summer Games with 22.7 million viewers reported during the late afternoon contest kicked off stateside.
Peacock, NBC’s streaming service, the Men’s gold medal game also earned the highest viewing numbers across NBCUniversal’s digital platforms with a reported 2.7 viewers per minute. This good fortune spread over into other sports with the U.S. Women’s National Team and their 1-0 triumph over Team Germany becoming the most-watched gold medal game for that sport since 2004.
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Snoop Dogg did it all while serving as a special NBC correspondent during the just-concluded Paris Summer Olympics. And just as the closing ceremonies were about to kick off and pass the torch to the next host city, Los Angeles, the Doggfather checked one more bucket list item off his list: rubbing shoulders with the […]
Sometimes celebrities really are just like us. Take, for example, the unmitigated joy Adele took over the weekend in watching the debut of the Summer Olympic’s latest sport: breaking. The anticipation for the first-ever breakdancing competition was feverish leading up to Friday’s debut of the women’s qualifying rounds.
And the athletes did not disappoint, with b-girls from around the globe proving that the American-born sport that judges scored on the dancer’s skills at elements such as toprocking, power moves, footwork and freezes was indeed worthy of inclusion. While dancers such as the Netherlands’ nimble India, fleet-footed bronze medal winner 671 and mind-blowing gold medalist Ami of Japan earned love from the judges, there was one b-girl who stood out among all the athletes.
“I’m not saying anything, I think it’s the best thing that’s happened in the Olympics the entire time,” Adele said during a break at one of her massive shows in Munich on Saturday about the thing she and her friends had been talking about non-stop since the night before. “Did anyone see the breakdancing lady?” she asked her audience to the sound of loud laughing.
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Adele explained that she wasn’t aware that breaking had been added for the first time at the Paris games — a situation she deemed “f–king fantastic.” She thensurveyed her band to see if any of them had watched, with the singer proclaiming that one of her musicians was “p—ing himself laughing” while thinking about 36-year-old Australian teacher Rachael Gunn, who won hearts and launched a million memes with her unique stylings under nom-de-break Raygun.
“I can’t work out if it was a joke, but either way, it has made me very, very happy and me and my friends have been s–ting ourself laughing for 24 hours,” Adele said of the dancer who scored zero points but who grabbed lots of attention for her floppy, unorthodox moves. “I just wanted to know if you’ve seen it. If you haven’t seen it, please leave the show and Google it because it is LOLZ!!! It is so f–king funny. Anyway, it’s my favorite thing that’s happened in Olympics this whole, whole time,” Adele said.
It wasn’t the first time Adele had stopped one of the shows at her bespoke German stadium to pay attention to the Paris games. Last week, she took a break to watch the anticipated Women’s 100M sprint final, broadcasting the 11-second race on the big screen for her 75,000 fans in the midst of her 10-night residency at custom-built Adele Arena.
While some mocked Raygun’s kangaroo hop moves and PE teacher-worthy outfit, the proud dancer who took up the sport at 20 and won the Oceania Breaking Championship crown last year told reporters after her wash-out that it was no joke.
“I was never going to beat these girls on what they do best, the dynamic and the power moves,” Gunn, who has a Ph.D. in cultural studies and studies breaking and hip-hop culture, told reporters afterwards according to NBC. “So I wanted to move differently, be artistic and creative because how many chances do you get that in a lifetime to do that on an international stage.”
Watch footage of Adele talking Raygun and check out some of the funniest Raygun memes below.
Billie Eilish performed “Birds of a Feather,” Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre teamed up for “The Last Episode,” and the Red Hot Chili Peppers played “Can’t Stop” in highlights from the 2024 Summer Olympics Closing Ceremony Sunday night (Aug. 11) in Los Angeles, where the next Olympics will be held four years from now. As […]
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Breaking made its official debut at the Olympic Games, and social media had praise and jokes for it in equal amounts.On Friday (August 9), the art of breaking officially became a sport at the Olympic Games being held in Paris, France. Snoop Dogg opened up the event walking into the venue to his hit, “Drop It Like It’s Hot” which got the packed crowd hyped up. The much-anticipated competition began with the B-girls facing off against each other beginning with a pre-qualifying round featuring India Sardjoe of The Netherlands against Manizha Talash representing the Olympic Refugee Team. Talash, originally from Afghanistan, was unable to compete for her country due to its oppressive restrictions on women athletes. Talash sported a “Free Afghan Women” shawl during her rounds, which she lost to India who advanced to the round-robin bracket.
From there the competition got fierce, with Logan “Logistix” Edra representing Team USA facing off against Australia’s Rachel “Raygun” Gunn in a battle complete with reactions dancers use to signal judges that their opponent is repeating moves – a no-no. While Logistix was lauded online for her round, some viewers weren’t fond of Raygun’s performance. One user wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, “Props to Raygun for having the guts to go out there… but this was the most secondhand embarrassment I’ve ever felt.” Dominika “Nicka” Banevič of Lithuania, the current B-Girl world champion would also dominate Raygun on her way to the medal knockout rounds. Logistix and teammate Sunny Choi would unfortunately not advance. The B-Boys who are competing for the gold on Saturday (August 10) were in attendance, seated around the circular stage in front of the giant boombox which held the DJ stand and the judges’ panel.
The competition gained a lot of attention on social media, with some knocking the choice of music being played by the DJs and the hype-men. Journalist Michael Harriott weighed in with a post on X, formerly Twitter, writing: “Olympic breakdancing is cringe AF. What time is the Olympic Electric Slide competition?” But others applauded the Bronx-born dance form being included as a sport, including The Hip-Hop Museum which celebrated the originators of the art in a post thread on X.
Check out some of the reactions below.
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Flavor Flav’s support of Team USA water polo will go down as one of the best moments of the 2024 Summer Olympics, and Funko is teaming with the hip-hop legend to show love to the sport.
After testing the waters on Aug. 6, Funko officially announced the limited-edition Flavor Flav Team USA Pop! collectible on Friday (Aug. 9). The patriotic Pop! vinyl is decked out in red, white and blue – including a basketball jersey, white pants and sneakers, blue sunglasses and a USA Water Polo swim cap.
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Team USA USAWP Flavo Flav Funko Pop!
The Flavor Flav Funko Pop! measures four inches tall, and there’s a gift box available for an additional $3.50. It retails for $20.
Funko will make a donation to Team USA Water Polo in collaboration with the limited release.
Fans will only have a week to pre-order the Team USA USAWP Flavor Flav collectible before its gone for good. The Pop! vinyl will be available for pre-order starting on Friday, Aug. 9, at 9:30 a.m. PT until Friday, Aug. 16, at 9:30 a.m. PT.
The Flavor Flav Funko Pop has an estimated ship date of Dec. 12, but Funko has other music-related Pop! vinyls on the way, such as the Ice Spice Funko, a Michael Jackson “Billie Jean” Funko, a BLACKPINK Born Pink World Tour Funko set and a Snoop on the Stoop holiday Pop! vinyl.
Flavor Flav has been in Paris supporting the U.S. women’s water polo team over the last two weeks. Unfortunately, the team lost to Australia on Thursday, ending its bid for a fourth straight title. Flav reacted with a post on X admitting that he wanted to cry, but was trying to hold back. “[I’m] so proud of this team,” he tweeted. “We still in this.”
I wanna cry,,, but imma trying not to. Imma SO PROUD of this team. We still in this.— FLAVOR FLAV (@FlavorFlav) August 8, 2024
Earlier this week, the 65-year-old rapper spoke to NPR about why he chose to sponsor the U.S. Women’s Water Polo Team.
“A a young lady on the water polo team – her name is Maggie Steffens, she put a story out, and my manager read the story and turned me on to the story,” he explained. “When the women aren’t in the water playing water polo they’re home, working active jobs – one, two and three jobs. These girls are out here busting their butt to make the United States look good. So when they’re out here playing and practicing, it takes them away from their work. So I said to myself, why not step in and try to help these girls out?”
Watch the 2024 Olympics live on NBC and Peacock. The games will come to a close on Sunday.
The 2024 Summer Olympics have given Snoop Dogg so much, and he’s returning the favor while spreading the love in Paris. While Snoop was hanging with Simone Biles and her family on Thursday (Aug. 8), the star gymnast’s dad was celebrating his 75th birthday. Snoop Dogg came bearing gifts and gave Mr. Ronald Biles a […]
The closing ceremony of the Summer Olympic games will feature a performance from H.E.R. The five-time Grammy winner will take the stage at the Stade de France on Sunday (August 11) to sing the U.S. National Anthem as part of the elaborate handover to the next host city, Los Angeles in 2028.
NBC’s most viral special correspondent, Snoop Dogg, announced the news on Thursday night (August 8), when he chatted up Olympics broadcast host Mike Tirico about LA28. “We got a lot of super talented people that’s going to be gettin’ down, doin’ what they do, makin’ it come true… for the red, white and the blue,” Snoop said.
Snoop then said he’s a fan of H.E.R. and he would love for her to perform the “Star Spangled Banner.” “Yeah, H.E.R. will also be performing the National Anthem,” Snoop said of the 27-year-old who is already just a Tony away from notching EGOT status.
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A statement from LA28 confirmed the news on Friday morning (August 9), along with the news that LA28 has revealed the new custom LA28 emblem that has been designed to celebrate the next host city’s vibe. The colorful logo features the Olympic rings underneath a bold black L and 28 with a purple guitar adorned with blue sunglasses making up the A portion.
“I can’t wait to bring this experience to Los Angeles,” said Long Beach native Snoop, who has been having the very best time in the City of Light learning the ins-and-outs of equestrian competition and fine French dining while hopping in the pool with Olympic swimming legend Michael Phelps, carrying the Olympic torch and hanging with pal Martha Stewart.
“This was amazing, but I just feel like L.A. is gonna be a supersize version of what we just did,” Snoop said of the city’s third go hosting after first bringing the world to the west coast in 1932 and then again in 1984.
The closing ceremony begins at 3 p.m. ET live and will then re-run at 7 p.m. ET. Unlike the unique opening ceremony that took place along the Seine River with performances from Lady Gaga, Celine Dion and French metal band Gojira, the closing will be in the stadium that has hosted the track and field and other events. Team USA swimmer Katie Leadecky and rower Nick Mead will be the flag bearers at the closing, which will be heavily focused on the hand-over to the L.A. games.
The closing ceremony will also reportedly include performances from Snoop, as well as fellow L.A.-based stars Billie Eilish and the Red Hot Chili Peppers in a mix of live and pre-taped bits. Tom Cruise is also reportedly slated to rappel from the top of the Stade de France with the Olympic flag and skydive onto the iconic Hollywood sign in a pre-taped segment.
Check out Snoop’s announcement here and the LA28 logo below.
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Track and field is nearing the final lap of the 2024 Olympics, but it’s not over yet. If you’re tired of watching highlights on social media and want to catch all the action before the Olympics end, we’ve rounded up ways to watch and stream the men’s 200 final and other track and field competitions.
On Thursday (Aug. 8), Team USA’s Noah Lyles won a bronze medal in the 200m men’s final behind fellow Team USA sprinter Kenny Bednarek and Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, who took home the African country’s first gold medal. Lyles, who contracted COVID earlier this week, wore a mask during the race and received medical attention afterwards.
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Also on the Thursday’s roster, Olympic medalists Sha’Carri Richardson and Gabby Thomas helped Team USA win the women’s 4 x 100m relay race and Sydney McLuaghlin-Levrone defended her gold medal in the 400m hurdles becoming the first woman in history to win back-to-back gold medals in Olympic track and field competitions.
The track and field schedule includes the women’s 400m hurdles final, men’s 110m hurdles final, men’s 800m repechage, women’s 1500m semi-final and women’s long jumps final.
See below for ways to watch the 2024 Olympic track and field competitions.
Where to Watch
Because the Olympics are in Paris, live coverage starts early in the U.S. If you can’t make the early bird schedule, NBC airs primetime coverage of track and field and other Olympic events from 8p.m.-11 p.m.
Peacock also offers live and on-demand coverage of the 2024 Olympics. Certain games will also broadcast on USA, E! and Telemundo.
What’s the best way to stream the Olympics? If you don’t have cable or an HD antenna to access NBC and other channels, subscribe to DIRECTV, Fubo, Sling TV, or Hulu+ Live TV to watch live channels.
Not interested in cable? Peacock is the best way to stream the 2024 Olympics live and on-demand. Streaming on Peacock gives you access to exclusive programming, interviews, recaps and more.
Peacock starts at $7.99/month for the base plan and $13.99/month for Peacock Premium Plus, an ad-free plan that comes with live access to NBC. Peacock also offers a student discount plan for $1.99/month and teacher’s discounts plan starting at $2.99/month.
If you want to stream everything in one place, DIRECTV Stream lets you enjoy local channels such as NBC, ABC, Fox and CBS in addition to cable networks such as ESPN, USA, E!, Telemundo, HGTV, Lifetime, Bravo and MTV. Click below to launch your free trail.
What other ways can you stream live channels without blowing the bank? Sling TV is one of the most budget-friendly streamers for cable and local channels (in select regions). Plans start at $20 for the first month.
Beyond track and field, the Olympics schedule is stacked with must-watch competitions, including men’s basketball, women’s basketball, volleyball, artistic gymnastics, water polo and swimming. Check below for a condensed version of the track and field schedule (available on NBC and Peacock).
See the full schedule here.
Thursday
Women’s 100m Hurdles Repechage Round
Men’s 110m Hurdles Semifinal
Men’s 200m Final
Women’s 4 x 100m Relay, Round 1
Men’s 4 x 100m Relay, Round 1
Women’s 1500m Semifinal
Men’s 400m Hurdles Semifinal
Women’s 400m Semifinal
Men’s 200m Semifinal
Men’s 400m Final
Men’s Triple Jump Qualifications
Friday
Women’s 4 x 400m Relay, Round 1
Men’s 4 x 400m Relay, Round 1
Men’s 800m Semifinal
Women’s 4 x 100m Relay Final
Men’s 4 x 100m Relay Final
Women’s 400m Final
Saturday
Men’s High Jump Final
Men’s 800m Final
Women’s Javelin Throw Final
Women’s 100m Hurdles Final
Women’s 1500m Final
Men’s 4 x 400m Relay Final
Women’s 4 x 400m Relay Final
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While breaking (or breakdancing) started in The Bronx in New York City during the early ’80s, it’s now part of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. The new event is set to make its debut on Friday, Aug. 9.
Breaking takes place at the Place de la Concorde. Check out a complete schedule of the event here.
When Do the Breakdancing Events Start?
Breaking starts on Friday, Aug. 9, at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT. It ends on Saturday, Aug. 10, at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT, or during NBC’s Primetime in Paris coverage at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
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Men’s and women’s breaking are available to watch live and stream on-demand. The events broadcast across E! and NBC, as well as streaming on Peacock.
How to Watch Summer Olympics: Breaking on Peacock
Can you stream breaking on Peacock? Yes, Peacock goes for $7.99 per month for the Premium plan and $13.99 per month for the Premium Plus plan — both plans include coverage of all Olympic sports.
Unfortunately, Peacock isn’t offering any deals at the moment, but you can get a discount, if you subscribe to the annual plan starting at $79.99 per year (12 months for the price of 10). The streaming service also has discounts for students and teachers with prices starting at $1.99 per month.
Where to Watch the Olympic Breakdancing Events for Free
If you’re a cord-cutter, then there are a number of ways to watch breaking without cable — especially if you want to watch for free. DirecTV Stream has a five-day free trial, while others such as Fubo and Hulu + Live TV offer free trials too. This is a good way to watch E! and NBC without spending money up front.
Keep reading for more details on how to watch Summer Olympics: Breaking on E! and NBC with DirecTV Stream, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV and others.
How to Watch Summer Olympics: Breaking on DirecTV Stream
A subscription to DirecTV Stream gets you access to live TV, local and cable channels, starting at $79.99 per month. The service even offers a five-day free trial to watch for free, if you sign up now.
You can watch local networks such as NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox and PBS, while you can also watch cable networks, including E!, FX, AMC, A&E, Bravo, Cartoon Network, ESPN, FS1, VH1, Fuse, CNN, Food Network, Lifetime, CNBC, BET, MTV, Paramount Network and many others.
How to Watch Summer Olympics: Breaking on Fubo
Fubo starts at $79.99 per month with nearly 200 channels — including local and cable — that are streamable on smart TVs, smartphones, tablets and on web browsers. And with a seven-day free trial, you can watch for free, if you act fast and sign up now.
The services gets you live access to local broadcast networks including NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox, while it also has dozens of cable networks, such as E!, FX, Bravo, TLC, ESPN, FS1, MTV, CMT, ID, Ion, OWN, Paramount Network, TV Land, VH1 and much more.
How to Watch Summer Olympics: Breaking on Hulu + Live TV
The networks E! and NBC are available to watch with Hulu + Live TV too. Prices for the cable alternative start at $76.99 per month, while each plan comes with Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ at no additional cost.
Hulu + Live TV might be best for those who want all of these streaming services together in one package. It also features many other networks, like CBS, ABC, Fox, BET, CMT, Disney Channel, ESPN, Hallmark Channel and more.
More Ways to Watch
Viewers who want to stream the Olympics internationally can use ExpressVPN, NordVPN and PureVPN to access several streaming platforms.
Meanwhile, if you’re an Xfinity subscriber, you can also save on Peacock. Subscribers to Xfinity’s StreamSaver and Internet plan and watch Peacock, Netflix and Apple TV+ bundled together for $35 per month. In addition, Xfinity Diamond and Platinum rewards members can get Peacock free of charge via rewards points.
Summer Olympics: Breaking broadcasts on E! and NBC starting on Friday, Aug. 9, at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT. Peacock and DirecTV Stream are the best ways to watch the event.
Nike Jam
Speaking of debuts, Nike just released the Nike Jam sneakers. These are the first pair of shoes from the sports apparel company that were specifically designed for breaking. Nike partnered with New York City-based artist Futura on a new sneaker and streetwear collaboration.
Nike
“The outcome is amazing,” Futura said in a press release. “The Jam is a beautiful, brand-new model that’s been created from the ground up for what the dancers themselves want to perform and feel comfortable in.”
The Nike Jam come in unisex sizes and in black, gum light brown, gum medium brown and metallic silver (pictured above) and dark driftwood, hemp, sail and black colorways. A pair retails for $120 at Nike.com.
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.