SuperSport unveils Paralympics plans

With 22 sports to be accommodated, SuperSport will host over 380 hours of the Games on two dedicated channels (SuperSport Variety 2 and 3). These will feature live daily coverage from mornings through to late evening events, beginning August 24.

There will be a daily highlights package, to be broadcast every evening, with news and updates also featuring on SuperSport Blitz.

In addition, the SuperSport Grandstand channel will curate the best content at any single time, while directing viewers to events that may be broadcasting elsewhere simultaneously.

Paralympics coverage will also be extensively available on the DStv Now app, while Showmax Pro will stream all live events both in South Africa and across the continent. Archive content, magazine shows, highlights and supplementary programming will also be available on Showmax and Showmax Pro, ensuring wall-to-wall coverage of the Games.

Unlike the Olympics, in which every event is produced for international television networks, not every event at the Paralympics is produced and available for broadcast.

However, SuperSport and Showmax will employ a “best endeavours” approach to bring as much of the action as possible to viewers back home with a slant towards events with an African flavour.

Traditionally, major Paralympic sports like athletics, swimming, basketball, tennis and weightlifting receive the bulk of coverage, but SuperSport and Showmax will attempt to be even more inclusive.

SuperSport Variety 2 and 3 will be available from Compact to Premium, while the highlights package (Variety 4) will also be extended to Access customers.