Paris 2024 set for record Paralympic coverage
All 22 sports will be available live for the first time in history 28 Aug 2024
Paris 2024 will be the first Paralympics in history where the world’s eight billion people have the opportunity to watch the Games, according to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), with record audiences expected to enjoy the event.
Over the next 12 days, a record of more than 225 Media Rights Holder broadcasters, web streamers, digital, social and audio platforms will cover the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Many will offer more coverage than ever before, taking full advantage of more than 1,450 hours of live coverage that will be produced by the Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS).
For the first time in Games history, there will be live coverage from all 22 sports. This is an increase on the 19 sports shown during Tokyo 2020 and means live coverage for the first time for Para badminton, Para powerlifting and shooting Para sport.
As part of the IPC’s aim to deliver the broadest global coverage possible and engage a younger audience in Paralympic sport, truly innovative partnerships have been created with YouTube and TikTok to ensure widespread live and short-form content coverage.
As a result, the IPC expects Paris 2024 to surpass the cumulative audience of 4.1 billion people that tuned in for the Tokyo 2020 and Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
John Lisko, Managing Director of IPC Global Media Rights, said: “We fully expect Paris 2024 will shatter every Paralympic Games broadcasting record there is – record number of rights holders, more hours of live coverage than ever before, and all 22 sports live for the first time in history.
“Our ambition for Paris 2024 has been for every person on this planet to have the opportunity to watch the Paralympic Games. The combination of a record number of rights holders, plus the welcome addition of YouTube and TikTok covering the event, ensures this ambition will become a reality whether that be through traditional TV, streaming, social platforms, digital content or radio.
“The driving force behind the increased coverage of and interest in the Paralympic Games is the quality of the sport and the performances of the athletes. Paralympic sport has never been better, more attractive or more competitive and we are confident that Paris 2024 will set new benchmarks for the quality of Para sport.”
Record-breaking European coverage
In the host country of the Games, France Télévisions will provide continuous 24 hours a day coverage of Paris 2024, with a mixture of 300 hours of live and on-demand coverage.
UK broadcaster Channel 4 is planning its biggest ever broadcast with more than 1,300 hours of live sport airing for free across several platforms. All content will be broadcast with subtitles, live peak time sport on Channel 4 will have closed audio description, while live sport on More4 and Channel 4 Streaming on weekday afternoons will include BSL live signing.
Europe-wide, there will be more exposure than ever before. IPC agency partner Infront will provide several thousand hours of coverage in a record 46 European countries, including markets where the Games weren’t previously available: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, Lithuania and Malta.
InFront Productions will once again create European-focused multi-feeds and tailored digital content allowing broadcasters to engage with their local audiences in a more meaningful way.
Leading free-to-air channels such as ARD/ZDF in Germany, RAI in Italy, NOS in the Netherlands, NRK in Norway and SRG in Switzerland will provide extensive coverage across their linear and digital channels.
Looking to the future
With the LA28 Paralympics on the horizon, NBCU’s Peacock will offer the most comprehensive Games coverage in U.S. history. The Peacock hub includes more than 1,500 hours of Paralympic streaming coverage for all 22 Paralympic sports, plus 140 hours of linear coverage across NBC, USA Network and CNBC.
NBCU is introducing many firsts to enhance its coverage. The Gold Zone makes its debut, offering viewers must see moments as they unfold. Closed captioning of every Paralympic event, regardless of platform, will be included and there will be audio description on all linear programming
For the first time ever, in partnership with Making Spaces, NBCU increased representation with hosts and production crews with a disability.
In Australia, hosts of the Brisbane 2032 Games, the Nine Network debuts as the Paralympic broadcaster and will screen more than 300 hours of coverage, with 14 hours a day of live coverage across Channel 9 and 9Gem. They will also feature more than 20 dedicated high-definition live streams on 9Now. Stan Sport will also screen the Paralympics.
In Canada, CBC/Radio-Canada will broadcast more than 140 original hours of coverage, with an additional 2,000 hours of live streaming coverage available across its multiple platforms. CBC will also have a nightly Paralympic Prime Time Show for the first time ever.
The Opening Ceremony will be presented on CBC and CBC Gem with closed captioning and described video, and streaming coverage will also include American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation.
Global coverage
In Japan, NHK, Japan’s Multi-Games MRH Broadcaster will again provide terrific coverage with more than 80 hours per week, along with NHK’s weekly highlights show. NHK broadcasting partnership with JBA, JCOM and Green Channel extends the broad coverage in Japan.
NHK is providing trailblazing broadcast coverage to engage audiences in new and meaningful ways. Innovations include fully blind athletes commentating for goalball and blind football competitions. Rie Urata and Kento Kato do not have the ability to watch any video footage but rely only on the “sound” of the Games sent to them from Paris such as the bells in the ball and the voices of guides and other players.
Perfectly Timed Subtitles or “PITTARI JIMAKU” will debut in live NHK broadcasts. This system displays comments and subtitles on air with no time difference.
Other highlights
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ASBU The 20 countries members of the Arab States Broadcasting Union are committed to offer Free to Air coverage with Algeria providing live coverage of their athletes.
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Africa – SABC in South Africa and TV Media Sport will ensure all major public broadcasters in Sub Saharan Africa will broadcast the Opening and Closing Ceremonies live as well as daily highlights. On the payTV side, Supersport will continue its extensive LIVE coverage to its 3.5 million households on the continent. The linear programming will be complemented by YouTube streaming LIVE all content.
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India – 100Sport joins as the MRH in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, with significant sublicense coverage via DDS and Viacom18 and their Jio Cinema OTT platform.
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Latin America – In Brazil, Globo will extend its coverage of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games on all its free to air, payTV and digital platforms. There will also be coverage in Argentina with TyC Sports, Chilevision in Chile, and TVES in Venezuela.
The association of all free to air regional channels in Colombia will also guarantee the live broadcast of both Ceremonies and the key performances of the day within a daily programme.
Thanks to a partnership with Albavision, 10 free to air stations in 10 Central and Latin America countries will also show the Ceremonies live for free, as well as one-hour daily highlights.
On the payTV side, America Movil will provide coverage on all their Claro Sports platforms as well as their YouTube Channel. Coverage in Mexico comes through new MRH Vivir sin Limites bringing in-language live sports coverage through Hi! Sport and Canal ONCE.
Global Audio
Worldwide coverage will be extended beyond video to include audio, available thanks to a renewed partnership with BBC Radio. Radio France International joins as a Paralympic Games MRH for the first time ever, with French commentary and Monte Carlo Douala in Arabic.
Travel
In a first for the Paralympics, passengers on airplanes and ships during the Games will have access to daily programmes highlighting the best performances of the day through Sport 24.
Paris 2024 will also be streamed on Paralympic.org with the YouTube video player embedded in the IPC website, subject to geoblocking restrictions.
The Games will feature 4,400 athletes who will compete in 549 medal events across 22 sports between 28 August and 8 September.
