Channel 4 Paralympics coverage reaches over 18.5 million as youth viewing hits new high

Regas Woods from Team USA competes in the Men’s Long Jump T42 Final at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games

Channel 4’s coverage of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games hit over 18.5 million individual viewers just before the final weekend of the Games. At the halfway point, viewing figures for the Paralympic Games plus the Opening Ceremony was at 17.4 million viewers across linear and streaming – more than one quarter of the total TV population in the UK – up by over 4% on the same stage of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Based on data covering the Opening Ceremony and the first six days of competitive action, the British broadcaster attained a total audience share of 9.1%; up 25% on the same number of days of Tokyo 2020, up 5% on Rio 2016, and up 79% vs the channel’s average share over the past year.

At that halfway point there was already a total of 4.3 billion viewer minutes across linear and streaming, up from 2.9 billion by the same stage of Tokyo 2020.

The recordbreaking performances from Paralympics GB athletes have proved a big hit with young viewers, with Channel 4 recording its biggest-ever share of young viewers for a Paralympic Games for half way through the Games. Channel 4’s linear share – 12.8% – of the 16 to 34 audience even surpassed its coverage of London 2012 and is up more than 56% versus Tokyo 2020. The first night of coverage around the Opening Ceremony attained a 16 to 34 share of 22.5%.

Channel 4’s streaming views were double that achieved across the same period of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, up a massive 97%.

The Last Leg returned to its roots at the heart of Channel 4’s primetime schedule throughout the Games, with over 0.9 million viewers to post-coverage episode to date and up over 21% on the Tokyo 2020 equivalent.

Daniel Dias from Team Brazil competes in the Men’s 100m Freestyle S5 Swimming in the Olympic Aquatics Stadium, at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games

Hit moments with viewers over the opening six days of the Games include Tully Kearney landing gold in the Women’s 200 metre Freestyle S5 final (1.6 million viewers and a 30.7% share of the 16 to 34 TV viewing audience), David Weir’s ultimately unsuccessful bid for a third Paralympics gold medal in the men’s T54 1500 metres (1.5 million viewers) and Great Britain’s victory over France in the preliminary stage of the Men’s wheelchair basketball (1.5 million viewers).

More than 1.7 million live streams were achieved on Channel 4 Sport’s YouTube channel at the halfway point, where Channel 4 offered up to 18 concurrent streams and more than 1,300 hours of coverage from all the events made available for live coverage by the Paralympic Games’ organisers.

On social, Channel 4 Sport’s TikTok account amassed 16.7 million views with top performing content including Maisie Summers-Newton’s emotional medal moment (2.5 million views) and Jonnie Peacock calling out for inclusion of disability sports (1.4 million views). Meanwhile Channel 4 Sport’s Instagram has generated 2.5 millon reach, through content such as Channel 4 presenter Rose Ayling-Ellis’s explanation of how she presents live sport as a deaf person (560,000 views).

Pete Andrews, Channel 4’s head of sport, said: “We are so excited that the Paralympics have captured the public’s imagination and in particular how the amazing performances of Paralympics GB have struck a chord with younger viewers. We have tried to make these games as accessible as possible for everyone and showcase the fun and drama of this brilliant event. Hosting the streams on YouTube has been a big hit with the viewers and it’s fantastic to see audiences flock to our coverage across linear, streaming and social.”

Bronze Medallist Stinna Kaastrup from Team Denmark on Smarties compete in the Individual Freestyle Test Grade IB, part of the Equestrian Dressage event at the Olympic Equestrian Centre at the Paralympic Games, Rio 2016