The Canadian Paralympic Committee leads Media Consortium creating unprecedented broadcast coverage of Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games

Four exclusive presenting partners Petro-Canada, Canadian Tire, Air Canada and CIBC to support new CPC initiative

TORONTO, Nov. 27, 2013 /CNW/ - With 100 days to go to the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games, the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) today unveiled an unprecedented, fully accessible broadcast and electronic media plans for the most comprehensive coverage ever offered in Canada for a Paralympic Games - more than 65 hours of broadcast and up to 350 hours of digital streaming, connecting Canadians via multi platforms.

Through a pioneering new broadcast model, the Canadian Paralympic Committee has secured the Canadian broadcast rights to the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games and RIO 2016. CPC will lead the Paralympic Broadcast Consortium partners in creating coverage on five broadcast/digital platforms: CBC/Radio-Canada, Sportsnet (through an agreement with CBC), Accessible Media Inc. (AMI) and Yahoo Canada Sports.

In addition, SendtoNews will distribute full news access highlights to all Canadian media for both broadcast and digital usage at no cost to users.

"This innovative model will bring the excitement and drama of the Paralympic Games in Sochi back home to Canada and connect with all Canadians," said Gaétan Tardif, President of the Canadian Paralympic Committee. "This new partnership provides an opportunity for the CPC to increase awareness of the Paralympic movement in Canada and bring unprecedented value to our corporate partners."

"During the London 2012 Paralympic Games, we saw broadcast records soar across many continents. In Canada, Canadians told us that they wanted more Paralympic Games coverage on television - and the CPC listened and acted," said Martin Richard, Executive Director of Communications and Marketing. "Each media partner brings a unique element to the table allowing us to widen the scope of the coverage, yet share a common goal and passion of telling our athletes' incredible stories and exciting athletic achievements."

Canadian Paralympic athletes - who have long been asking for enhanced coverage - were thrilled to hear of the plans.

"This is an incredibly exciting day for Canadian Paralympic sport," said Brian McKeever, a 10-time Paralympic medallist in para-Nordic skiing. "The visibility and support that Team Canada's athletes will experience through the Paralympic Broadcast Consortium will be a great morale boost to all of us competing in Sochi, knowing that our loved ones back home, as well as all Canadians, will be able to follow the action and cheer on their team."

The Canadian Paralympic Broadcast Consortium model has been made possible thanks to a substantial investment in the Sochi broadcast by four of CPC's Premier Partners, who will be the presenting partners for the broadcast: Petro-Canada (a Suncor Energy Business), Canadian Tire, Air Canada and CIBC.

"We are thankful to our corporate partners for investing in growing the awareness of the Paralympic brand through broadcast and digital media," added Tardif. "We anticipate that Canadians will enthusiastically embrace this unparalleled opportunity to follow their team on television, online and mobile."

"Congratulations to the Canadian Paralympic Committee on this ground-breaking initiative to bring the Sochi Paralympic Games into the homes of Canadians," said the Honourable Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport). "Our government is proud to support Canada's para-athletes, and all Canadians look forward to cheering them on when they compete against the best in the world next year in Sochi."

Detailed schedules of coverage on all platforms will be announced closer to Games time, as will on-air talent, which will include Paralympian commentators.

Consortium coverage of the Paralympic Broadcast Consortium will be supported by a Team Canada Mobile Application offering digital streams, video-on-demand and results for people on the go; CPC digital media: paralympic.ca/sochi2014 and paralympique.ca/sotchi2014; CPC social media outlets: facebook.com/CDNParalympics, @CDNParalympics, instagram.com/CDNParalympics and youtube.com/CDNParalympics.

IPC President Sir Philip Craven said: "This is fantastic news and I would like to congratulate the Canadian Paralympic Committee and thank all four presenting partners involved for making this happen.

"Following the great success of the Vancouver 2010 Games, it is important that Canadians can continue to watch their athletes compete at Paralympic Winter Games and this announcement ensures this.

"The Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games are set to break all broadcasting records with more global broadcasters not only covering the Games than ever before, but also showing more hours of coverage too."

Dmitry Chernyshenko, President and CEO of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee: "I am delighted by the news of the Canadian Paralympic Committee's innovative new broadcasting model: Sochi 2014 is opening yet another new chapter in Paralympic broadcasting. About forty accredited broadcasters will beam Sochi 2014 to more people in more countries around the world than any Paralympic Winter Games in history. By sharing the talent, the courage and the determination of these athletes to the widest possible global audience, I am convinced that we will be making a significant contribution to the sustainable growth of the Paralympic Movement worldwide."

Backgrounder:
TEAM CANADA AT THE SOCHI 2014 PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES

General Information

• The Sochi 2014 Paralympic Games will take place from March 7 to 16 and will include six sports: para-alpine skiing, biathlon, para-Nordic skiing, sledge hockey, wheelchair curling and para-snowboard (first time at the Paralympic Games).

Team Canada in Sochi

• Canada will send approximately 50 athletes to compete in Sochi in all sports.
• The Canadian Paralympic Team for Sochi will be finalized and announced in February 2014. CPC, in partnership with National Sport Federations, will host press opportunities to announce individual sport nominations starting in December of 2013.

Chef de Mission

• Canada's Chef de Mission is Ozzie Sawicki, an accomplished coach and sport leader. Sawicki has experience at four previous Paralympic Games and was the Head Coach for Para-Alpine at the 2002 Salt Lake City Paralympic Games, were his squad won 12 of the total 19 medals won by Team Canada at those Games.

Vancouver legacy

• The Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Games were Canada's best-ever winter Paralympic Games in history, as Canada placed third in the gold medal count with 10 gold medals and 19 overall.
• Vancouver was a catalyst in Canada for Paralympic sport, a time when we saw increased funding and resources for Paralympic athletes and that continues to this day - so our Sochi team is better prepared, with more training camps, coaching and equipment expertise, than our teams of the past.

Performance goal for Sochi

• Canada's performance goal for Sochi is - like Vancouver - to place in the top three nations in the gold medal count. This goal was established in collaboration with Own the Podium, Sport Canada and winter National Sport Organizations.
  
  

About the Canadian Paralympic Committee

The Canadian Paralympic Committee is a non-profit, private organization with 25 member sports organizations dedicated to strengthening the Paralympic Movement. The Canadian Paralympic Committee's vision is to be the world's leading Paralympic nation. Its mission is to lead the development of a sustainable Paralympic sport system in Canada to enable athletes to reach the podium at the Paralympic Games. By supporting Canadian high performance athletes with a disability and promoting their success, the Canadian Paralympic Committee inspires all Canadians with a disability to get involved in sport through programs delivered by its member organizations. For more information, visit www.paralympic.ca

Image with caption: "Jean St-Onge (Radio-Canada), Karen O'Neill (Canadian Paralympic Committe), Hon. Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport), Paralympian Brian McKeever, Brenda Irving (CBC), Team Canada Chef de Mission for Sochi 2014 Ozzie Sawicki celebrate announcement of Paralympic Media Consortium creating unprecedented broadcast coverage of Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games. (CNW Group/Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC))". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20131127_C5190_PHOTO_EN_33947.jpg

Image with caption: ""The visibility and support that Team Canada's athletes will experience through the Paralympic Broadcast Consortium will be a great morale boost to all of us competing in Sochi, knowing that our loved ones back home, as well as all Canadians, will be able to follow the action and cheer on their team.", said Brian McKeever, a 10-time Paralympic medallist in para-Nordic skiing. (CNW Group/Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC))". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20131127_C5190_PHOTO_EN_33945.jpg

SOURCE: Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC)