PARA: TV deal signed with European TV broadcasters

AAP General News (Australia)
04-18-2000
PARA: TV deal signed with European TV broadcasters

SYDNEY, April 18 AAP - Sydney Paralympics organisers have finalised a television rights
deal with the European Broadcasting Union, giving 48 more countries access to coverage
of the Sydney Games.

Deals also have been signed with the New York-based media company, We Media Inc, for
the US broadcast rights and with Japanese public network NHK TV.

"It's a measure of the growth and success of the Paralympic movement worldwide that
TV networks now want to ensure their audiences at home get to see the Games," Sydney Paralympic
Organising Committee (SPOC) chief executive Lois Appleby said in a statement.

"Of the European countries, I understand that 23 have so far indicated that they will
come to Sydney to supplement our Host Broadcast coverage with programming specifically
geared towards their own audiences back home."

SPOC also is negotiating with broadcasters in Canada, South Africa, New Zealand and China.

The Paralympics will be broadcast in Australia on the ABC and Channel Seven's cable station C7.

In other news, Paralympic ticket sales have reached the 250,000 mark with six months
to go until the opening ceremony.

This represents about $4.3 million in sales towards SPOC's ticketing budget of $16.2 million.

SPOC also has reached an agreement with Visa, which allows tickets to be purchased
using MasterCard, cheques and money orders.

The arrangement differs from that for Olympic Games ticket sales, where Visa is the
only credit card which can be used to buy tickets.

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KEYWORD: PARA TV

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