C4 Paralympics reaches 17 million viewers in first week

Channel 4 has revealed that 17.4 million viewers have watched content from the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games across linear and streaming, during the first week of the event. This is up 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 channel has had a total audience share of 9.1%. This is up 25% on the same number of days of Tokyo 2020 and up 5% on Rio 2016.

So far, there’s been a total of 4.3 billion viewer minutes across linear and streaming on Channel 4, which is up from 2.9 billion by the same stage of Tokyo 2020.

Channel 4 says it’s recorded its biggest-ever share of young viewers for a Paralympic Games at this stage, too.

It’s linear share of the 16-to-34 audience has 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 16-34 share of 22.5%.

And Channel 4’s streaming views are up a huge 97% across the same period of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

The Last Leg has also brought in increasing viewership, up 21% on the Tokyo 2020 equivalent.

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

More than 1.7million live streams have been achieved on Channel 4 Sport’s YouTube channel, where Channel 4 is offering up to 18 concurrent streams and more than 1,300 hours of coverage from all the events. 

On social, Channel 4 Sport’s TikTok account has amassed 16.7million 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).

Channel 4 has also been supporting the ParalympicsGB-run Every Body Moves site – a place where disabled people across the UK can search for activities near them. On the day prior to the Opening Ceremony 641 visited the site. Since Channel 4’s promotion of the site throughout the Paris Paralympics more than 50,000 people have visited the site for the first time.

Pete Andrews, Channel 4 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 ParalympicsGB 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. Bring on the next few days.”