Thousands tune into Paralympics on web TV

Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games

Pique Newsmagazine's Assistant Editor Andrew Mitchell reports daily from Paralympic Games in Torino. Published Date: 2006-03-16 Time: 09:50:23

Average viewer staying for three hours, Canadians in top-five

When the International Paralympic Committee first launched Paralympic Sport TV (www.paralympicsport.tv) in October, their goal was to increase exposure of disabled sports around the world through a free broadcast, while providing some added exposure to their own funding sponsors, Visa and Samsung.

Even in their wildest dreams the IPC did not expect the Paralympic Games coverage to become one of the most watched online television programs.

Some stats:

* The average person watches a broadcast for three hours, or more than three times as long as the average online television viewer;

* There have been over 23,000 unique viewers in 90 different countries;

* In terms of minutes and hours, viewers have watched 4,237 days of coverage, with an average of 640 people tuned in at any given time.

“When you look at the figures we have from Friday, from the opening ceremonies today, each of our (unique) viewers has so far watched more than four hours of Paralympic Sport TV, something that has never happened before our that our partners are unaware of,” said Alexis Schaefer, the marketing manager for the International Paralympic Committee.

The Paralympics’ relationship to web broadcasting goes back to the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, but according to Schaeffer the new station goes even further. For one thing the site will be up year round, and will broadcast other disabled events as they take place. The site will also archive broadcasts, so you can watch any event when it’s most convenient to you, as well as live. In addition, because of advances in broadband, viewers can stop, rewind, pause and play the streaming video without interrupting the broadcast.

Compared to the Olympics, the Paralympics generally get very little network coverage around the world. Many countries don’t even have a network with rights to broadcast the Games, and if they do they limit their coverage “to 30 minute highlight reels,” says Miriam Wilkens, the director of media communications and official spokesperson for the IPC.

“We’re trying to show that there is a demand for more coverage, as well as provide a way to promote sports in countries where there are no (broadcast) rights holders.”

The country with the most viewers is the U.S., followed by Canada, Germany, Japan and, surprisingly, Italy, where the Games are already being broadcast in their entirety.

Schaefer believes this is proof that Paralympic Sport TV can complement traditional broadcasts, while ensuring more exposure for sports and athletes.

“We think this is a very good chance to actually promote Paralympic sport and drive people to the traditional broadcast, because it is exposing more people to the sports,” he said. “To create an interest, first you have to create awareness.

“Someone can now go to the web, see Paralympic sport, get interested, get involved — it’s a great opportunity we have here.”

Because of limited resources, Paralympic Sport TV will only be able to broadcast 100 hours of the Paralympic Games, and can’t cover events taking place simultaneously, but in the future Schaeffer hopes to be able to cover every event in its entirety.