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With presumed favorite Nathan Chen turning in a lackluster performance during the team event last week, the men’s figure skating competition at the 2018 Winter Olympics suddenly looks wide open. Though the young American star should still be considered the favorite assuming he regroups, there or four or five men with a legitimate chance of capturing gold.
In the United States, the men’s short program starts on Thursday, February 15, at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on NBC and NBC Sports Network. The free skate starts Friday, February 16, at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on NBC and NBC Sports Network. If you don’t have cable or a cable log-in, you can watch a simulcast of both of these channels live online by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
FuboTV: NBC (live in the most markets) and NBC Sports Network are both included in the “Fubo Premier” channel package. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial, and you can then watch any of those channels live on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the FuboTV app.
DirecTV Now: NBC (live in select markets) and NBC Sports Network are both included in each of the four channel packages. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial no matter what package you choose, plus you can get a free Amazon Fire TV if you prepay two months. Once signed up, you can watch any of the channels on your computer via the DirecTV Now website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the DirecTV Now app.
Hulu With Live TV: In addition to an extensive Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu now also offers a bundle of live TV channels, including NBC (live in select markets) and NBC Sports Network. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial and you can then watch on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Hulu app.
Sling TV: NBC (live in select markets) and NBC Sports Network are both included in the “Sling Blue” channel package. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial, and you can then watch those channels on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app.
In addition to being able to watch NBC and NBSCN simulcasts via the above streaming services, you can also watch any and all figure skating competition (these streams will show every single performance from every single competitor live as they happen) live on your computer via NBCOlympics.com, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the NBC Sports app. To watch any of these streams, you’ll have a 30-minute free preview before needing to sign in to your TV provider, but you can use your FuboTV, DirecTV Now, Hulu, or Sling TV credentials to do that.
Preview
Following Evan Lysacek’s gold in Vancouver, the United States was held off the podium in the men’s figure skating event last Olympics, but it would be a massive shock if that drought continued in Pyeongchang.
That’s because of 18-year-old superstar Nathan Chen. He suffered a pair of surprising falls last week while performing his short program during the team event (the “worst program I’ve ever seen from Nathan Chen,” according to two-time Olympian Johnny Weir), but if everything goes smoothly this time around, there’s simply no beating him. He’s undefeated during the 2017-18 season, which includes a win over defending Olympic and World champion Yuzuru Hanyu at the Rostelecom Cup in October, and the proclaimed “King of Quads” should be locked in after last week’s disaster.
“Because he has something to work back from, he’s almost done himself a favor by giving himself more motivation,” 1992 Olympic silver medalist Paul Wylie said. “I think it really kind of reset his focus. He’s done apologizing to people for how he skated. He hates that role. As a skater, sometimes you need to have something to bounce back from. You’re tenacious because you don’t want to let that happen again. I think that’s the story he’s telling himself and he’s certainly living that out in his practices.”
Hanyu and Japanese compatriot Shoma Uno are likely to give Chen the biggest competition. While Hanyu is the defending champ, he’s also somewhat of an unknown after suffering an ankle injury a couple months ago. Uno, on the other hand, finished second at the Grand Prix Final (behind Chen) in December and had the best short program (103.25) during the team event last week.
2014 Olympic silver medalist Patrick Chan of Canada is also another one to watch after a good pair of performances in the team event, as is two-time World champion Javier Fernandez of Spain.
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Olympics Men’s Figure Skating Live Stream: How to Watch Without Cable