Best Sport Production of the Year (Quadrennial): The Paralympics

Topping Channel 4’s acclaimed 2016 Paralympics coverage was never going to be easy, and it was a challenge made even greater by the pandemic.

Whisper, however, stepped up to produce the most ambitious Paralympics coverage to date, with more than 300 hours of TV programming and 1,000 hours of live content across digital platforms.

With OB and broadcast facilities provided by Timeline Television, C4 o­ ered live sport across two channels, with More 4 highlighting team competition.

Some 14 hours of live coverage was broadcast daily on C4 during the Games, including innovative highlights show Today In Tokyo, presented from Japan, and the bite-sized Gold Rush, showcasing every British medal won that day.

A major emphasis was placed on diversity, with disabled individuals making up 70% of the presentation team and 18% of the production team.

“The coverage appealed to a large, diverse audience, with entertaining presenters and heart-warming stories about the athletes,” noted one judge. “It was goosebumps for me on a number of occasions.”

“Channel 4 and Whisper brought the emotion onto our TVs, which was shared across all social media platforms,” said another. “They had a tough job on their hands to follow-up their 2016 coverage, but what a job they did.”