NBC Announces Media Rights Deal For '14, '16 Paralympic Games

NBC Olympics today formally announced a deal in partnership with the USOC to acquire U.S. media rights to the '14 Sochi and '16 Rio Paralympic Games. NBC Olympics is buying the rights from the Int'l Paralympic Committee. There will be a combined 50 hours of Sochi Paralympics coverage on NBC and NBCSN, and a combined 66 hours of coverage from Rio (NBC Olympics).

This marks a "major increase in broadcast coverage from the 5.5 hours of tape-delayed coverage" NBC offered during the London Paralympic Games. Additionally, NBC Sports Group "has agreed to provide live streams to all Paralympic events that include American athletes for USParalympics.org." Unlike the Olympic Games, "anyone with a computer connection can stream these Paralympic events" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 9/23 issue).