News from LIFE

Paralympics Will be Aired in Prime Time

NBC will air coverage of the Paralympics during prime time for the first time this summer. They expect the prime time coverage to total four hours over multiple nights from the Summer Paralympic Games in Tokyo. The games are scheduled to being in six months after being postponed last year due to the pandemic.

“It’s unreal and incredible. I’m so ecstatic,” said 13-time Paralympic gold medalist Jessica Long, who is competing in her fifth Games in swimming. “It’s time to show the world the diversity in disability and challenges we face, but also how incredible we are. It is nice being showcased for our work and elite-ness.”

The planning for this was decided before the pandemic, but the postponement of the Games has given extra time to find ways to expand coverage. NBC plans to cover the competition but also the stories of the athletes, that are compelling and will form the fabric of the coverage. NBC will also air the U.S. Paralympic Team Trials on June 27th. Coverage will be streamed to Peacock, NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app.

This commitment to coverage and promotion of the Paralympics is something to celebrate. U.S. Olympic Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland said, “This is a great reflection of our combined pledge to create a path to parity for
the Paralympic Movement.”

Roderick Townsend, gold medalist in the long jump and high jump at the Rio Games, said the timing serves as more momentum with L.A. hosting the Games in 2028.

“After Loading in 2012, we saw how much of an impact it had in the United Kingdom,” he said. “This could have a huge impact for the future track for when Los Angeles comes around.”

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