New Zealand Ramps Up TV Coverage

In London, New Zealand will try to better its performance from Beijing 2008, when it won 12 medals, including five golds.

With the London 2012 Paralympic Games opening on 29 August, broadcast stations in New Zealand have ensured there are plenty of ways for fans to follow the New Zealand team, including hours of coverage from Sky Sport.

In addition to featuring live coverage of both the Opening and Closing Ceremony, Sky Sport will also broadcast day and evening session highlights from the Games from 30 August to 10 September. The highlights from each day will air in primetime where possible and on the Sky Sport Highlights channel, replaying every three hours.

iSky will feature Paralympic Games highlights for Sky Sport subscribers and Video-to-Mobile will feature the ceremonies as well as highlights.

Sky Sport New Zealand was the winner of the International Paralympic Committee's (IPC) 2011 Paralympic Media Award - broadcast category for its coverage of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.

The imagery and stories Sky Sport broadcasted live across New Zealand captured the true spirit of the Paralympic Games, particularly the extraordinary coverage of alpine skier Adam Hall.

The live coverage of Hall’s gold-medal race captured the nation. Hall’s fall in the race and ability to get back up and finish to win gold showcased so much strength, emotion and passion that he returned to New Zealand a celebrity.

In addition to Sky Sport's coverage in London, Prime TV is running two one-hour special documentaries called “Black and White – the Paralympic Story,” which debuted on Wednesday (16 August) with a piece on the Swimming team. The second installment on 23 August will feature the Cycling team.

In London, New Zealand will try to better its performance from Beijing 2008, when it won 12 medals, including five golds.

The nation will be led by three-time Paralympic gold medallist in the pool, Sophie Pascoe, as well as visually impaired middle-distance runner Tim Prendergast, who won gold at the Athens 2004 Games.