Paralympic TV rights generate record ?10 mn

MUMBAI: The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has announced a record-breaking collection of rights holding broadcasters to screen the Paralympic Games across the globe this summer.

Combining with the previous announcements of exposure in the UK through Channel 4 and China?s largest national broadcasting network CCTV, the total worldwide broadcast deals will see a record ?10 million in revenue generated from the sale of broadcast rights to the Paralympic Games - greater than for any previous Games.

The local organising committee has stitched deals with European Broadcasting Union (EBU), NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation), Globo TV in Brazil, Australia?s public broadcaster ABC, Italian digital subscription channel Sky Italia, Korea public service broadcaster KBS (Korean roadcasting System) and Thailand Pool TV representing a pool of well established broadcasters in Thailand.

Host broadcaster services are being provided by OBS, providing viewers around the world with unbiased live action in high definition. Minimum broadcast commitments have been matched or exceeded in all cases with hundreds of hours of Paralympic sport to be broadcast right across the world.

LOCOG chair Sebastian Coe said: ?As the world?s second biggest multi-sport event, all eyes will be focussed on the Paralympic Games in London in 2012. Beyond how the commercial value of this package has raised the bar financially for the Paralympic movement, the fantastic broadcast coverage we have agreed will help us take advantage of this opportunity to inspire disabled people of all ages to take up sport and be a catalyst for continued change in public attitudes towards disability.?