NBC Sports and Universal Sports announced the multiplatform broadcast coverage of the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games presented by GE. Coverage on NBC Sports will include a 1-hour program recapping the Opening Ceremony on, March 13 (1-2 p.m. ET) and a 2-hour highlights program on April 10 (3-5 p.m. ET).
In addition to the coverage on NBC Sports, Universal Sports will broadcast a nightly 2-hour show for nine nights dedicated to the daily competition of the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games starting on March 15 at 6 p.m. ET and continuing nightly through March 23.
Also UniversalSports.com will offer on-demand re-airs of the Universal Sports television coverage, plus full-length event “rewinds.”
The official site of the U.S. Paralympic Team, www.usparalympics.org, will offer daily video and news highlights of the competition from Vancouver.
“The extensive coverage on NBC Sports and Universal Sports helps to raise the awareness of the Paralympics by telling the stories of these remarkable athletes, and demonstrates NBC Universal’s commitment to the Olympic movement in the United States,” Gary Zenkel, president, NBC Olympics, said in a new release.
Echoing his sentiment, Scott Blackmun, U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) chief executive officer said, “We are thrilled that fans of Team USA will be able to stay connected to all the action in Vancouver and follow the accomplishments of Paralympians from throughout the world.”
O&P Business News followed up with Kevin Hosea, a two- time Paralympic Trail athlete, and creator of a petition to televise the Games.
“My hopes, for this additional coverage, are of course that they will help increase public awareness of the Paralympics and show the TV networks, USOC, and IPC that there truly is an interest to see these games on television here in the United States. If those people see that there is an interest in the Paralympics being televises, I would hope that they would all continue to work toward getting equal coverage to that of the Olympics in our country,” Hosea said. “I definitely think that the coverage they have announced is a small victory for the athletes of the Paralympic Games. These athletes are just as deserving as the Olympic athletes to be seen by the public. They have worked as hard or harder to get to that level so there is no reason they shouldn’t be known.”
