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PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS

How to watch the 2024 Olympics on TV in Italy

With the Paris Olympics now underway, here's how you can catch all the action from Italy.

Published: 19 July 2024 14:13 CEST
Updated: 24 July 2024 12:35 CEST
Italy's Marcell Jacobs celebrates after winning the men's 100-metre final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
Italy's Marcell Jacobs celebrates after winning the men's 100-metre final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Photo by Cameron Spencer / POOL / AFP

More than 10,000 athletes from over 200 countries have descended on the French capital for one of the biggest sporting spectacles in the world: the Olympic Games.

The 2024 Paris Olympics, which are set to run from Friday, July 26th to Sunday, August 11th, mark the return of le Olimpiadi to the European continent after a 12-year hiatus.

This edition of the Games features some ‘new entries’, including breakdancing contests taking place at Paris’s Place de la Concorde, as well as the return of skateboarding and surfing competitions after their Tokyo 2020 debut.

Global stars such as basketball player Lebron James, gymnast Simone Biles, marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge and Italy’s very own Marcell Jacobs are all set to take part in the Games.

So where can you watch all the 329 scheduled sporting events if you’re in Italy while they’re happening?

Luckily for sports fans, TV coverage of the Olympics will be extensive in Italy.

Public broadcaster Rai will offer 360 hours of live broadcast across Rai2 (channel two on standard Italian TV sets) and RaiSportHD (channel 58), with viewing completely free of charge.

Rai will focus on games involving Italian athletes or teams. You can see their daily programme here.

If you don’t have a TV in Italy but have an internet connection, you can also watch select games on Rai’s online streaming platform RaiPlay or on the RaiPlay mobile app.

Again, this is free to view, though you’ll need to sign up for a RaiPlay account in order to start streaming.

On-demand streaming platform Discovery+ will offer full coverage of the Paris Olympics for a total of over 3,800 hours of live broadcast, but you’ll have to subscribe to the service in order to watch.

The platform’s ‘entertainment+sport’ package currently costs 7.99 euros a month.

Satellite TV broadcaster Sky Sport Italia will also cover the Olympic Games, offering customers over 1,000 hours of live broadcast spread across ten dedicated channels, including an ad-hoc 4K-resolution channel.

The private broadcaster’s subscription bundles start at 14.90 euros a month plus installation costs.

Sky subscribers will also be able to watch the Olympics on streaming platform SkyGo.

Finally, streaming platform DAZN will also cover the event, showing around 700 hours of live broadcast across eight Olympics-dedicated channels.

You can see their current subscription offers here.

Here’s a full list of all the 32 sports featured at the Paris Olympic Games:

Aquatics (Swimming, Marathon Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Artistic Swimming), Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball (3×3, Basketball), Boxing, Breakdancing, Canoe (Canoe Sprint, Canoe Slalom), Cycling (BMX Freestyle, BMX Racing, Road Cycling, Track Cycling), Equestrian (Equestrian Eventing, Equestrian Dressage, Equestrian Jumping), Fencing, Football, Golf, Gymnastics (Artistic Gymnastics, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Trampoline Gymnastics), Handball, Hockey, Judo, Modern Pentathlon, Rowing, Rugby (Rugby Sevens), Sailing, Shooting, Skateboarding, Sport Climbing, Surfing, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Triathlon, Volleyball (Beach Volleyball, Volleyball), Weightlifting, and Wrestling (Greco-Roman Wrestling, Freestyle Wrestling).

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For members

HEALTH

Reader question: How can I get a medical certificate for sports in Italy?

From joining a gym to swimming at a public pool, signing up for sporting activities or programs requires a health certificate in Italy – but how do you get one and how much does it cost?

Published: 4 September 2024 14:48 CEST
Reader question: How can I get a medical certificate for sports in Italy?

Whether you’re looking to join your local gym, take up swimming or diving classes, or play five-a-side football on a regular basis, simply turning up and paying the required fee won’t be enough in Italy as you’ll first need to prove your physical fitness via a medical certificate. 

This can frequently come as a shock to foreign nationals as many countries don’t require a medical certificate for non-competitive activities (though they may do for any sport or activity practised at a competitive or professional level). 

There are two kinds of medical certificates in Italy: the certificato sportivo non-agonistico (non-competitive sports certificate) and the certificato sportivo agonistico (competitive sports certificate).

Here’s what you need to know about them.

Certificato sportivo non-agonistico

The non-competitive certificate is necessary to engage in any type of regular, non-professional physical activity carried out in contexts or venues that are overseen by a sports club or association.

This includes anything from standard gym memberships to tennis courses to ballet. 

The certificate can be issued by your Italian general practitioner (medico di base), by a paediatrician if it is for a child, or by a sports medicine specialist.

READ ALSO: The key Italian vocabulary you’ll need for a doctor’s visit

It can only be released following a series of tests, including: a review of your medical history and that of your family, a medical examination including heart and lung auscultation, blood pressure measurements, and an electrocardiogram (ECG).

In most cases, you won’t be able to undergo all of the above tests during the same visit as the ECG is generally carried out in a separate medical facility.

How much does it cost?

The certificate is issued free of charge for minors that need it to take part in non-competitive extracurricular sporting activities at school (though you’ll still have to pay for the ECG, which costs around €12 in the public sector).

Children under the age of six are not required to get a medical certificate (the requirement kicks in after they turn six).

For adults, issuance costs amount to around €40 on average if you choose to get the certificate through your general practitioner. 

The figure is slightly higher – €46 on average – if you go to a private clinic or sports medicine centre. 

Whether you go public or private, issuance costs will add to the cost of the mandatory ECG. This is around €12 in the public sector but can cost up to €30-40 in private centres.

The certificate is valid for one year from the date of issuance, after which you must renew it in order to continue practising the relevant sport or activity.

Certificato sportivo agonistico 

If you’re a professional athlete or planning on participating in competitions such as a marathon or an Ironman race, you’ll need to obtain a certificato sportivo agonistico from a sports medicine doctor in the public or private sector (this cannot be issued by a general practitioner).

The certificate can only be issued following: a review of your medical history, blood pressure checks, a cardiac stress test (or exercise electrocardiogram), and the analysis of a urine sample. 

In many cases, you won’t be able to undergo all of the above tests during the same visit as the cardiac stress test and urine sample analysis are generally carried out in separate medical facilities.

READ ALSO: Why changing your doctor in Italy can be a nightmare

Also, you may be required to undergo additional tests depending on the type of sport or activity you practise.

How much does it cost?

For athletes under the age of 18 and people with disabilities, the certificate is free of charge.

For all other patients, costs range from €30 to 100 (this includes issuance costs and the cost of the required exams) if you choose to get the certificate through your local health authority (or ASL). 

Costs may be higher if you choose a private clinic.

Please note that The Local cannot advise on individual cases. For more details on getting a medical sports certificate, seek advice from your doctor or a qualified sports medicine centre.

Please note that The Local cannot advise on individual cases. For more details on getting a medical certificate for sports, seek advice from your doctor or a qualified sports medicine centre.

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