Channel 4 Plans To Bid On Broadcasting For Rio De Janeiro Paralympics

Channel 4 CEO David Abraham is preparing a bid for the TV rights to the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Paralympics, but "could be derailed by a BBC plan to snatch back the rights," according to Mark Sweney of the London GUARDIAN. If Channel 4 can win the bid for the U.K. TV rights to the event, Abraham said that he is hopeful of retaining Clare Balding, who was "highly praised for her presenting work" during the London Olympic and Paralympic Games. Channel 4's coverage of the London Paralympics "attracted record viewing figures." The success has pushed Channel 4 to bid for the U.K. TV rights to the Rio Paralympics. Abraham said, "International TV rights are managed by the IPC and we obviously have a very good relationship with them. We are talking to them about how we plan Rio, and how we go about doing that." However, the BBC is "thought to be planning to snatch back the TV rights" to the Paralympics, which it lost when Channel 4 put in a record bid in '10 (GUARDIAN, 10/2).