Channel 4 to broadcast Paralympics coverage on YouTube

UK broadcaster Channel 4 has teamed up with youth-skewed video platform YouTube to widen its coverage of the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games in efforts to reach more viewers.

Source: Channel 4

Channel 4 Sport’s YouTube channel will deliver up to 18 concurrent streams and will live broadcast more than 1300 hours of coverage from all the events.

Channel 4 has held the UK media rights to the Paralympics since 2012. Programming of the global sport tournament will be available on Channel 4, More4, Channel 4 streaming and social channels from August 28 to September 8.

The YouTube partnership is part of Channel 4’s Fast Forward strategy to become the first public service streamer and to double social views through its social and content unit 4Studio.

The pubcaster recently announced it posted a three-fold year-on-year increase in UK viewing of episodes of TV shows on YouTube in Q1.

Matt Risley, managing director, 4Studio, said: “We are thrilled to be offering the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games for the first time through this partnership. Channel 4 has a proud record of raising the profile of the Paralympic Games and making top quality sport available to all, for free. This summer, our YouTube partnership will make the Paralympics Games the most social yet in the UK. We will continue to seek innovative partnerships to keep growing our reach with young audiences and build on our unrivalled digital success.”

Pete Andrews, Channel 4’s head of sport, said: “We’re thrilled to have teamed up with YouTube so audiences will have more ways to watch the Paralympians when they take centre stage at Paris. We know how popular YouTube is with the younger audience and it’s this sort of partnership and innovation that will help promote the Paralympics to people of all ages all across the UK.”

Neil Price, head of film and tv content partnerships, YouTube, said: “We’re thrilled to join forces with Channel 4, expanding the reach of one of the world’s most inspiring sporting events. Channel 4 has been a trailblazer for the Paralympics in the UK, and we are honoured to support their ongoing commitment by live streaming more than 1,300 hours of Paralympic action.  We look forward to an incredible summer of sport for Team GB, and to bringing the action to fans everywhere through YouTube.”