The Canadian Paralympic Committee has acquired the broadcast rights to the Sochi 2014 Paralympic winter Games and Rio 2016 summer Paralympic Games.
In what the CPC described as an “unprecedented” deal, the organisation will provide the most comprehensive coverage ever offered in Canada for a Paralympic Games, with Sochi 2014 set to be afforded more than 65 hours of broadcast and up to 350 hours of digital streaming through a Paralympic Broadcast Consortium made up of five partners.
CPC will lead the consortium in creating coverage on public-service broadcaster CBC; pay-television broadcaster Sportsnet – through an agreement with CBC; Accessible Media, which specialises in media for the blind, visually impaired, deaf and hearing impaired; and internet company Yahoo Canada Sports.
In addition, digital sports video news agency SendtoNews will distribute full news access highlights to all Canadian media for both broadcast and digital usage at no cost to users.
The CPC said the consortium model has been made possible thanks to a “substantial investment” in the Sochi broadcast by four of its premier partners, who will be the presenting partners for the broadcast. They are Petro-Canada, Canadian Tire, Air Canada and CIBC.
Coverage will be supported by a Team Canada mobile application offering digital streams, video-on-demand and results.
“This innovative model will bring the excitement and drama of the Paralympic Games in Sochi back home to Canada and connect with all Canadians,” Gaétan Tardif, president of the Canadian Paralympic Committee, said. “This new partnership provides an opportunity for the CPC to increase awareness of the Paralympic movement in Canada and bring unprecedented value to our corporate partners.”
The Canadian city of Vancouver staged the previous edition of the winter Paralympic Games in 2010.