Channel 4 to broadcast 2012 Paralympics

By Paul Carter

Channel 4 will broadcast the 2012 Paralympic Games, having beaten the BBC to secure the rights, Disability Now can reveal.

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) said that Channel 4 was awarded the rights following a “highly competitive” tender process, and ends months of speculation that the Games could have been broadcast on pay-per-view, subscription television.

Channel 4 has said it will broadcast over 150 hours of television coverage, and will run its biggest ever marketing campaign to promote the Games.

The deal also includes two peak time 10-part documentaries in 2011 and 2012, and coverage of the Paralympic torch relay.

Kevin Lygo, Channel 4’s Director of Television and Content, said: “Channel 4 has done more than any other broadcaster to bring disability into the mainstream and we have a great track record of broadcast innovation with sports like Test cricket. We are genuinely thrilled to be given this opportunity to work with LOCOG to bring Paralympic sport into full public focus before, during and beyond the 2012 Games and to deliver a lasting legacy, including altering public attitudes to disability and disability sport.”

A spokeswoman for the BBC told Disability Now that the corporation was “disappointed” to have missed out on the rights.

“We are proud of our record and tradition in covering disability sport,” she said.

“However we are pleased that the Games will be available to free-to-air audiences and we congratulate Channel 4 on securing the rights.

“We are sure the 2012 games will be a great success.”

• For more reaction and discussion to this story, see the upcoming February issue of Disability Now