The International Paralympic Committee has said that it expects the 2014 Paralympic winter Games to set record levels of global broadcasting reach when it is staged in Sochi, Russia next year.
The IPC said it is confident of a cumulative television audience in excess of the 1.6 billion recorded by Vancouver’s 2010 Games.
Sochi 2014 already has deals in place with US network NBC, UK commercial broadcaster Channel 4 and the European Broadcasting Union consortium of public-service broadcasters.
The IPC says it expects to announce further deals shortly.
Sir Philip Craven, IPC president, said: “The deal we announced this year with NBC in the USA is huge as it opens up the Games to millions of new viewers who will be able to watch the Paralympics for the very first time.
“All the deals we have announced, and are on the verge of announcing, are also for more hours. In 2014 people will have more chance to see the Games around the world and will be able to watch far more too. The signs are that more people than ever before will watch the Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi next March.”
The London 2012 Paralympic summer Games attracted a cumulative television audience of 3.8 billion in more than 115 countries.
Athletes from 45 countries will compete across five sporting disciplines in Sochi, Russia from March 7-16.