The NBC Olympics division of US network NBC has agreed a rights deal for the Sochi 2014 and Rio 2016 Paralympic Games under which the two events will receive an unprecedented 116 combined hours of coverage in the United States.
NBC Olympics and the United States Olympic Committee have partnered to acquire the US media rights to the next two editions of the Games.
NBC Sports Network, the cable-television sports channel of NBC, will broadcast 46.5 hours of competition from Sochi while NBC will air an additional 3.5 hours of coverage.
In addition, the USOC will provide live online coverage of all competition events and opening and closing ceremonies on the TeamUSA.org website.
The Paralympic Winter Games coverage has been made possible through the support of broadcast and streaming sponsors BMW, BP, Citi, Liberty Mutual and Procter & Gamble, marking the first time the broadcast has been exclusively sold to USOC sponsors.
In September 2016, NBC and NBCSN will show 66 hours of coverage from the Paralympic Games in Rio, an increase of 60.5 hours from the coverage of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
The USOC will also provide live online coverage of Rio 2016 via TeamUSA.org.
“We are absolutely delighted to announce this two-Games agreement with NBC and the USOC as it provides more airtime of the Paralympics than ever before in the US,” Sir Phillip Craven, president of the International Paralympic Committee, said. “Following the success of London 2012, we said it was absolutely essential for the growth of the Paralympic Movement and the Paralympic Games that in future years US audiences had a greater opportunity to watch some of the world's best elite athletes in action.”