.png)
Jerome Singleton was given the nickname 'fastest amputee on the planet' in 2011 after knocking off reigning champion Oscar Pistorius in the men's 100m (T44) at the 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships. (Harry How/Getty Images)
When U.K. commercial broadcaster, Channel 4 aired highlights of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletics World Championships in New Zealand in early 2011 it sent out a message to the hosts of the London 2012 Paralympic Games—filling a stadium with paralympic sports fans (in this case QEII (ANZ) Stadium with a maximum capacity of around 60,000) is a tough nut to crack.
While the competition for the fastest 100 meters is closely contested by South African, Oscar Pistorius and American, Jerome Singleton and it is just as exciting as the current and frequent showdowns between Tyson Gay and Usain Bolt—Pistorius and Singleton are unlikely to claim the emotive title of fastest man on earth.
Despite the fact that the achievements of athletes with a disability continue to amaze and impress, why is disability sport not given the recognition it deserves?
The stats speak volumes: Whereas, U.K. host broadcaster, the BBC paid many millions for TV/online rights for the Olympics coverage across the 17 days of live action, the BBC was easily out-bid by the U.K. commercial Channel 4. C4 paid around 10 million pounds (around $16 million); twice as much as the BBC’s offer, with a commitment to 150 hours of coverage over the 12-day event starting on August 29.
However, Channel 4’s financial investment is a step in the right direction.
Following Athens 2004’s total production budget of 2.3 million euros ($3 million) and the all-inclusive package for Beijing 2008, which totaled $9 million the upward investment trend is looking good.
But compare it with a proposed package of U.S. rights covering the next four summer and winter Olympics through 2020 with a total rights fee in excess of $4 billion and you can begin to see the difference.
Deborah Poulton, Channel 4 sports editor, Paralympics 2012 wants to raise awareness of Paralympic sport and Paralympians by making the British viewing public the best informed and most engaged in the world. “Bringing about a fundamental and permanent shift in perceptions of disability in the U.K., we want our viewers to appreciate the elite ability of our Paralympians, and to see beyond the disability.”
In 2010, working with partners including Sunset and Vine and IMG, alongside Boomerang plc, Channel 4 produced and aired a 10 part program, “That Paralympic Show” together with a documentary series profiling Team Great Britain’s Paralympic contenders.
Chris Holmes who represents the Paralympics within the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games is confident that the event will be a great success. And Channel 4’s programming, which has trailblazed the coordinated campaign of education and awareness, has done its job.
A combination of exceptionally high demand for Olympic tickets and their lack of availability has motivated Londoners to purchase any ticket—be it Olympic or Paralympic, just so they can experience the games.
According to Holmes, “The integration of the Olympics and Paralympics under a single organizing committee has had benefits across the board; including internal efficiencies, which provide an effective commercial model. Cross-media campaigns with “lighthouse moments” are necessary to effect change and break the mold of current perceptions of disability sport.”
With over 2 million…
