Softball will be contested for a fifth time ever at the Olympic Games this summer but the first time since 2008. The hosts Japan are the defending gold medalists after upsetting the United States in the final in Beijing 13 years ago.
Both teams are back chasing gold in Tokyo, with Japan now holding the advantage of playing on home soil. Despite the 13-year gap, five players who participated in that memorable final – Cat Osterman and Monica Abbott for the U.S. and Ueno Yukiko, Mine Yukiyo and Yamada Eri for Japan – are once again representing their nations at the Games.
SEE MORE: Beijing 2008: Team USA falls to Japan in softball final
Joining Japan and the U.S. in the Tokyo tournament are Mexico, Canada, Italy and Australia.
Unlike in previous iterations of Olympic softball tournaments, the 2020 edition includes just two rounds of competition: a round-robin opening round and a medal round. The top-two nations after every team has played one another will contest the gold medal game, while the third and fourth place squads go for bronze.
Competition begins three days prior to the Opening Ceremony on July 20 and ends one week later with the medal games.
Select games from the tournament, including every Team USA matchup and both medal games, will be broadcast live on NBCSN and CNBC (Find full TV listings for softball and any other Olympic sport on the full TV schedule).
However, every pitch of the Olympic softball tournament can be streamed LIVE on NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports App. Follow the table below for streaming links, results and replays:
Questions about how to stream on your device? Visit our frequently asked questions page for more details.