Channel 4 to Broadcast 2011 BT Paralympic World Cup

The announcement adds an exciting new dimension to the BT Paralympic World Cup and will provide the event with the strongest broadcast coverage it has ever received on UK television.

Manchester has committed for the seventh consecutive year to hosting elite international athletes competing across Wheelchair Basketball, Athletics and Swimming. In addition, Boccia and Sitting Volleyball will be represented for the first time, with international matches staged during the competition.

The 2011 BT Paralympic World Cup will receive unprecedented television coverage, with Channel 4 committing to a two hour live programme on 28 May, as well daily highlights packages on 26 and 27 May. Live daily streaming from each sport will also be broadcast on the Channel 4 website: www.channel4.com/paralympics.

Deborah Poulton, Sports Editor, Paralympics at Channel 4, said, “We are thrilled to be adding the BT Paralympic World Cup to our TV sporting schedules. Alongside the London 2012 Paralympic Games, the BT Paralympic World Cup is another opportunity to help increase awareness of Paralympic sport and make the British viewing public the best informed and most engaged in the world. We believe the combination of online streaming and TV highlights coverage will attract new audiences to the BT Paralympic World Cup and give the event and its competitors the profile they deserve.”

With the 2010 BT Paralympic World Cup breaking record attendance figures for a UK disability sporting event, the competition will this year build on the success of the team challenge format across the three sports, which will see Great Britain taking on teams from Europe, the Americas and the Rest of the World, with the latter team the defending champions.

Suzi Williams, Director, BT Group Marketing and Brand, said, “The 2010 BT Paralympic World Cup was a fantastic success, with record crowds and some spectacular sporting performances. This year’s BT Paralympic World Cup will raise the bar even higher, it’s a must-attend event for the world’s best Paralympic athletes as they prepare for the Paralympic Games next year and I look forward to seeing some world class coverage on Channel 4.”