The broadcaster saw its biggest weekly share of TV audience since the London 2012 Paralympic Games

C4 paralympics - viewership

Channel 4 secured its biggest audience share in 12 years as it reveals 20 million watched its Paralympics TV coverage this year across linear and streaming.

It delivered Channel 4’s biggest weekly share of TV audience since the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Meanwhile, its social media channels picked up 41 million views, with 4.5 million watching Channel 4 Sport’s YouTube channel and 30 million viewing content on TikTok.

Channel 4 also announced its support for Every Body Moves, where people can search for disabilty sports near them, attracted 83,000+ new users.

Added to this, Whisper’s newly opened accessible production facility in Cardiff will leave a lasting legacy for sports broadcasting. Channel 4 commissioned Whisper to produce its coverage via The Cymru Broadcast Centre in Cardiff. Purpose-built by Whisper, the centre is one of the world’s most accessible production facilities, enabling disabled talent to work behind the scenes. The centre will remain a last legacy for the city and Wales.

Furthermore, Channel 4’s Equal Play documentary spurred a Government response to schools’ sports provision for disabled students. The film saw Paralympic Champion Hannah Cockroft highlight the statistic that only one in four disabled students say they take part regularly in sport at school.

Channel 4’s viewing figures take in the Opening Ceremony and the eleven days of competitive action, and was up 23% on the Tokyo 2020 Games and up 74% against the channel’s average share over the past year.

Viewers watched a total of 7.3 billion viewer minutes across linear and streaming, up from 4.9 billion for Tokyo 2020. Meanwhile, Channel 4’s streaming views are up 85% on that achieved across the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

On social, Paralympics content has so far generated 41 million views across YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. And more than 2.4 million livestreams and 2.1 million non-live streams were recorded on Channel 4’s YouTube channel. 

On TikTok, Channel 4 created bespoke content, which received 30 million views. This included clips such as Dan Pembroke’s incredible throw. On Instagram, Channel 4’s Paralympics account secured 6.6 million views, included for Jonnie Peacock’s plea for more inclusion for para sports.

Channel 4 recording its biggest-ever share of young viewers for a Paralympic Games. Channel 4’s linear TV share - 12% - of the 16-to-34 audience, surpassed its coverage of London 2012 and is up more than 44% versus Tokyo 2020 and 122% against the channel’s average share over the past year.

  • Jonnie Peacock landing sliver in the Men’s 4x100m relay (1.5 million peak).
  • Tully Kearney’s gold in the Women’s 200m Freestyle S5 final (1.6 million peak)
  • David Weir’s ultimately unsuccessful bid for a third Paralympics gold medal in the men’s T54 1500m (1.5 million peak).
  • Channel 4’s live coverage for the Closing Ceremony attracted an average audience of 1.1m viewers – an increase of +200% on the average audience for the Closing Ceremony at Tokyo 2020.
  • Coverage around the Opening Ceremony attained a 16-34 share of 22.5%.

Alex Mahon, CEO, Channel 4, said: “I am incredibly proud of Channel 4’s role as broadcaster of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Our accessible coverage – with more hours broadcast than ever before presented by a ground-breaking presenting line-up - has been a joy to watch. The sport has been incredible, the feedback from the athletes on what it means for them has been inspiring and the volume of sign-ups to Every Body Moves represents a positive step forward.

“Our innovative line-up of presenters, pundits and reporters entertained, educated and celebrated great live sport, while we leave a legacy in Cardiff in the first fully accessible gallery and production hub. Today’s announcement of record viewing figures underlines continued progress on our strategy to reach both new digital audiences while serving our existing linear viewers.”