The summer and winter Paralympic Games have been added to the government's 'crown jewels' list of sporting events that must be shown on free-to-air television.

The Paralympic Games are currently the biggest disability sports event in the world and this move ensures that they will be seen by as many people as possible.  

In Rio 2016, 31.6 million people in the UK watched at least 15 minutes of the coverage. This was an increase of almost 200 per cent on the number who tuned in during Athens 2004 when 10.6 million people watched.

This is an important step towards greater inclusivity in sports coverage. 

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson who won 16 Paralympic medals during her wheelchair racing career breaking 30 world records, said: “I am delighted."

"When you look at the other events it will now sit alongside, it means so much to athletes, current and retired, to know the level that the Paralympic Games has reached in the public consciousness and how much it means to everyone.” 

Para Table Tennis World Champion, Ross Wilson agrees. He said: “My first experience of the Paralympics was London 2012 and the support we had from the British public was incredible. Since then the interest in Paralympic sport has continued to grow and thanks to Lottery funding I can train full time and be the best athlete that I can be."

“Ensuring that the Paralympics is available for everyone to watch live on TV is important, not only to me as an athlete, but also to increase participation in Para sport and inspire young athletes with a disability in the future." 

This is a victory for the British Paralympic Association and the organisation's chief executive, Mike Sharrock says: “We have been advocating for some time that the Paralympics Games should be treated in the same way as the Olympic Games and always be available on free to air television for the nation to enjoy. As we build towards Tokyo 2020 we are delighted this has now been added to the list of sporting ‘crown jewels’ as it marks a significant moment for a nation that is proud to be the home of Paralympic sport.”

In protecting the Paralympics coverage and ensuring that people don't have to pay to watch, we are taking another step towards an industry that is inclusive, championing all athletes, not just a select few. Let this be the start.