Your Guide to the 2014 Winter Olympics on DISH

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2014 Winter OlympicsThe Olympic Torch has made its way to Sochi for the 2014 Winter Games – 17 days of skiing, skating, bobsledding and nonstop cheering for Team USA. If you’re anything like us, you’ll want to experience all the ceremony and celebration that Sochi has to offer. We’ll be posting daily schedules of the Olympic action on DISH, along with medal counts and previews of must-watch events. To start, here’s a brief rundown of Olympic TV coverage to help you prepare for the weeks ahead. When is the Opening Ceremony? Friday, February 7 – TV coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. (ET) on NBC. Russian officials have been tight-lipped about to expect during the Opening Ceremony, but you can bet it will include a spectacular display of Russian culture. The Parade of Nations and the lighting of the cauldron also take place during the Opening Ceremony. Where is Sochi? The Russian city of Sochi is on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, situated at the base of the Caucasus not far from the Georgia border. The Games take place in 11 sports venues housed in two main areas: Sochi Olympic Park – also called the Coastal Cluster – and Krasnaya Polyana, or the Mountain Cluster. When is the best time to watch? Sochi is nine hours ahead (ET), so you’ll need to wake up early if you want to see all the live action. Not an early riser? No problem. NBC will replay key events in the afternoon and primetime hours. Who is broadcasting the Olympics? Coverage is spread across five NBC stations. Much of the primetime action will be shown on your local NBC affiliate. You can catch many of the live early-morning events on NBC Sports. USA and MSNBC will show most of the hockey games, along with CNBC. Can I stream Olympic events? Yes. All events — with the exception of the Opening Ceremony — will be live-streamed on nbcolympics.com as well as the NBC Sports Live Extra app. If you have a smartphone or tablet, you can grab it free on Apple’s App Store or from Google Play. That should help get you started. Stay tuned for more Winter Olympic coverage, daily schedules and must-see events from Sochi.