Olympic Badminton 2024: Where to Watch, Full Schedule

Team USA has never won a medal in badminton, but this year at the 2024 Paris Olympics, that may well change in the Porte de la Chapelle Arena. With a seven-competitor team boasting experienced athletes and proven winners, achieving gold could be more attainable than ever before.

Badminton has a 50-plus year history in the Olympic Games, having made its debut as a demonstration sport in 1972 at the Munich Olympics before becoming an official Olympic sport in Barcelona in 1992.

Originating from a British pastime played indoors as early as the mid-19^th-century, badminton soon evolved into a competitive sport, per Olympics.com. Since its inclusion, the sport has grown in global popularity, showcasing intense battles of skill and strategy on the Olympic stage.

RELATED: Where To Watch 2024 Paris Olympics: Complete Schedule

Read more to discover the athletes set to hit the arena at Paris 2024.

Key athletes to watch

Beiwen Zhang, 34, leads the Team USA roster, known for her strategic gameplay. Born in China, Zhang’s Olympic journey includes multiple titles on the BWF World Tour; she has represented the United States since 2013.

Beiwen Zhang of the United States competes in the Women's Singles Round Robin match against An Se Young of Korea during day two of the Thomas & Uber Cup Finals 2024 at Chengdu High-tech Sports Centre on April 28, 2024 in Chengdu, China. Photo: Shi Tang/Getty Images

According to her Team USA profile, Zhang made the move to Singapore by herself at 13 years old and debuted professionally at the Aviva Open Singapore in 2004. She is returning to the Olympics having competed at Tokyo 2020, where she placed ninth in women’s singles. She recently won gold at the 2023 Pan American Games, as well as the Pan Am Championships in 2021 and 2024.

Howard Shu, returning from Rio 2016, is back and ready for Paris. The Californian recently won gold at the 2023 French Guiana International.

Twin-sister duo Annie Xu and Kerry Xu, are competing in doubles for Team USA. The sisters are making their debut at the Games, fresh off placing 33^rd in doubles at the World Championships last year. The two began playing badminton at the young age of 8 years old. The University of California Berkeley graduates also participated in the Pan American Games in Santiago in 2023, per Team USA.

Learn more about the athletes headed to the Games on NBC's Olympics website.

Howard Shu of the United States competes in the Men's Single match against Cao Cuong Pham of Vietnam during day three of the Sudirman Cup at Guangxi Sports Center on May 21, 2019 in Nanning, China. Photo: Shi Tang/Getty Images

How to watch

Every day during the Summer Olympics, NBC will offer fans at least nine hours of daytime coverage of the Games’ most exciting events, including live finals coverage of swimming, gymnastics, track and field, and more. Considering the time difference (Paris is six hours ahead of the U.S.’s eastern time zone), fans will be able to watch the day’s most popular events live on NBC in the morning and afternoon. NBC will also deliver an enhanced Olympics primetime show each night, providing three hours of must-see entertainment.

In addition, every event from the Summer Olympics will be broadcast live on Peacock, which will be home to an innovative Olympics hub that will include "curated rails of live and upcoming events, dedicated in-depth hubs for nearly 40 sports, medal standings and an interactive schedule."

Complete schedule for badminton events

Saturday, July 27
2:30 a.m. ET: Men’s, Women’s, Mixed Singles, Doubles: Group Play (Part 1)
8:00 a.m. ET: Men’s, Women’s, Mixed Singles, Doubles: Group Play (Part 2)
1:30 p.m. ET: Men’s, Women’s, Mixed Singles, Doubles: Group Play (Part 3)

Sunday, July 28
2:30 a.m. ET: Men’s, Women’s, Mixed Singles, Doubles: Group Play (Part 4)
8:00 a.m. ET: Men’s, Women’s, Mixed Singles, Doubles: Group Play (Part 5)
1:30 p.m. ET: Men’s, Women’s, Mixed Singles, Doubles: Group Play (Part 6)

Monday, July 29
2:30 a.m. ET: Men’s, Women’s, Mixed Singles, Doubles: Group Play (Part 7)
8:00 a.m. ET: Men’s, Women’s, Mixed Singles, Doubles: Group Play (Part 8)
1:30 p.m. ET: Men’s, Women’s, Mixed Singles, Doubles: Group Play (Part 9)

Tuesday, July 30
2:30 a.m. ET: Men’s, Women’s, Mixed Singles, Doubles: Group Play (Part 10)
8:00 a.m. ET: Men’s, Women’s, Mixed Singles, Doubles: Group Play (Part 11)
1:30 p.m. ET: Men’s, Women’s, Mixed Singles, Doubles: Group Play (Part 12)

Wednesday, July 31
2:30 a.m. ET: Men’s, Women’s, Mixed Singles, Doubles: Group Play (Part 13)
8:00 a.m. ET: Men’s, Women’s, Mixed Singles, Doubles: Group Play (Part 14)
1:30 p.m. ET: Mixed Doubles: Quarterfinals / Men’s & Women’s Singles: Group Play

Thursday, August 1
2:30 a.m. ET: Women’s Doubles: Quarterfinals / Men’s Singles: Pre-Quarterfinals
7:00 a.m. ET: Men’s Doubles: Quarterfinals / Men’s Singles: Pre-Quarterfinals
12:30 p.m. ET: Women’s Singles: Pre-Quarterfinals / Mixed Doubles: Semifinals

Friday, August 2
2:30 a.m. ET: Men’s & Women’s Doubles: Semifinals
9:00 a.m. ET: Mixed Doubles: Medal Finals / Men’s Singles: Quarterfinals

Saturday, August 3
2:30 a.m. ET: Women’s Singles: Quarterfinals
9:00 a.m. ET: Women’s Doubles: Medal Finals

Sunday, August 4
2:30 a.m. ET: Men’s & Women’s Singles: Semifinals
9:00 a.m. ET: Men’s Doubles: Medal Finals

Monday, August 5
3:45 a.m. ET: Women’s Singles: Medal Finals
8:30 a.m. ET: Men’s Singles: Medal Finals

Don't Miss

The drama and good vibes in Paris aren't over yet. The 2024 Paralympic Games kick off August 28 with the Opening Ceremony and run through September 8. Stay up to date with a comprehensive schedule of events, including where to watch.