Paris 2024 Paralympics see record global viewership numbers

The GIST: The Paralympics are in the spotlight like never before, with the increased exposure and investment resulting in serious global viewership. The U.S., Canada, the U.K., and France all reported historic numbers after expansive media commitments. Ooh là là.

🇺🇸 U.S.: Before the Games, NBC confirmed that ad sales were up more than 60% from Tokyo as the media brand bagged a record number of partners. As of September 5th, the Paralympics rights holder was averaging 1.32M viewers during two weeks of competition, up 49% from 2021.

🇨🇦 Canada: On the podium, Canadian athletes experienced a bounceback at this year’s Paralympic Games with 29 total medals (including 10 golds), but the wins weren’t limited to the competition: CBC experienced a 188% jump in viewership for the Paralympics Opening Ceremony compared to Tokyo.

🇬🇧 U.K.: Like NBC, Channel 4 doubled down on investing in Paralympic coverage this year by offering its “most accessible Games to date,” featuring improved British Sign Language and audio offerings. A more accessible viewership experience seemed to pay off because heading into the final weekend, Channel 4’s coverage reached 18.5M individuals, or 30.4% of the British TV population.

🇫🇷 France: The home nation boasted immense viewership during the 2024 Opening Ceremony, averaging more than 22M fans and peaking at 10.2M on domestic broadcaster France Télévisions for an audience share of 52%, more than double what Japan notched in 2021 (24%). Throughout the competition, France Télévisions averaged around 20M viewers per day.

Looking forward: Companies are really only beginning to lean into the marketing power of the Paralympics to harness its potential, but they should have LA28 in their sights. The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee is encouraging brands to activate around both the Olympics and Paralympics, which big players like Nike, Toyota, Citi, and Reese’s did this year.

• Plus, those wanting to cash in on the Olympic halo effect are realizing the glow is even bigger when they can promote Olympians and Paralympians together. Ten rings are better than five.