The 2017 World Para Athletics Championships, which open in London on Friday, are set to break all broadcast records with more rights holders than ever before signed up to screen the event. More than 20 broadcasters from around the world have registered to cover the event either live, as highlights or via news bulletins. In Great Britain, Channel 4 will screen 30 hours of live action while there will also be live coverage on BBC Radio Five Live, Five Live Sports Extra and BBC World Service. With Tokyo 2020 on the horizon, Japanese Paralympic broadcaster NHK will broadcast a daily highlights show and TBS will also screen coverage. CCTV in China will livestream all 202 medal events and each day's evening session will be broadcast live on France TV. Highlights coverage will appear on Doordarshan in India. In addition to a record number of broadcasters, more tickets than ever before have been sold for the event which has attracted more than 1,100 athletes from 95 countries. Around 250,000 tickets have been sold to date (IPC).
NEW PARTNERS: SPORTSVIBE reported food brand Jordans Cereals has been announced as a partner for the World Para Athletics Championships and the IAAF World Championships London 2017. The Bedfordshire-based company "will be supplying athletes, coaches, officials and the 10,000-strong workforce, including 5,000 volunteers, with 350,000 cereal bars" during the championships (SPORTSVIBE, 7/11). SPORTSVIBE also reported equipment company Nordic Sport partnered with the World Para Athletics Championships. Nordic Sport will provide high jump, long jump and throwing equipment for the event (SPORTSVIBE, 7/11).
2018 SWIMMING EUROS: Ireland will stage a major Para sport event for the first time as Paralympics Ireland, with Swim Ireland, Fáilte Ireland and Sport Ireland, announced Dublin as host city for the 2018 World Para Swimming European Championships, from August 13-19, 2018. More than 500 athletes from 40 countries are expected to compete. It will be the biggest competition to be held at the National Aquatic Centre in 15 years (IPC).
