COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Today the United States Olympic Committee announced broadcast and online coverage plans for the London 2012 Paralympic Games. By creating original video content for the U.S. Paralympics YouTube channel, YouTube.com/USParalympics, while also partnering with NBCUniversal and the International Paralympic Committee, U.S. Paralympics will provide the American public with more coverage of the U.S. Paralympic Team than any previous year.
Beginning on Aug. 29 and continuing through the conclusion of the Games on Sept. 9, U.S. Paralympics will provide 10 daily video highlights packages via its U.S. Paralympics YouTube channel. The videos will chronicle the competition, athlete stories and will also include the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Videos chronicling the lead-up to the Games will also be available in late August.
“As one of only four National Olympic Committees that also manage the Paralympic program, we are committed to increasing Paralympic coverage in the U.S.,” said Scott Blackmun, chief executive officer of the USOC. “With this expanded approach to coverage, the USOC is making a significant investment in growing the Paralympic Movement in the United States and introducing more fans to Paralympic sport."
USParalympics.org will also have significant coverage of the 2012 U.S. Paralympic Team.
In addition to the online content, NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) will air one-hour highlight shows on Sept. 4, 5, 6 and 11 at 7 p.m. EDT. Following the Paralympic Games, on Sept. 16, NBC will broadcast a 90 minute special from 2-3:30 p.m. EDT. All NBC and NBC Sports Network Paralympic highlight shows and specials will re-air on Universal Sports Network and UniversalSports.com.
"It's tremendous news that the London 2012 Paralympic Games will get more airtime in the US then ever before and thoroughly deserved," said Sir Philip Craven, International Paralympic Committee president. "Viewers online and on TV will see sport like never before, with elite athletes putting in some quite incredible performances.
The IPC, the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement, also recently announced its online coverage plans for the 2012 Paralympic Games, which will include broadcasting 580 hours of live sport from London 2012 on Paralympic.org during the competition.
During each day of London 2012, the IPC website will broadcast four streams of uninterrupted live coverage from the Paralympics with English commentary, including daily coverage of swimming, wheelchair basketball and athletics, while a fourth channel will cover a range of sports. A fifth channel will broadcast a mixture of sports with Spanish commentary.
In addition, more than 1,000 hours of sporting action from a number of venues, including individual races and matches, will be made available on Paralympic.org as video on demand during the course of the Games. Two daily five minute news bulletins will also be produced in English and Spanish.
The 2012 Paralympic Games will take place in London, England from Aug. 29-Sept. 9, featuring more than 4,000 athletes with a disability, from more than 160 countries. It is slated to be the largest Paralympic Games in history.
"The London 2012 Paralympics will break many records," Craven said. "They are set to be the first in the 52 year history of the Games to sell-out, with nearly 2.5 million tickets sold, and will be broadcast in more countries than ever before with a cumulated audience of 4 billion around the globe expected to tune in."