Paris 2024 Paralympic Games changed attitudes towards disability

To mark the one-year anniversary since the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has published new independent worldwide research that shows the event triggered major changes in attitudes towards persons with disabilities and is now regarded as one of the most recognised sport events on earth.

Nielsen Sports was commissioned by the IPC to research what impact watching the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games had, surveying more than 15,000 people in 11 different countries before and after the event.

Post-Games, the research found nearly three in four (73 per cent) people thought the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games positively changed their attitudes towards persons with disabilities. A further eight out of 10 (80 per cent) felt the Games made them feel more positive about the abilities of people with disabilities, while 79 per cent stated the Paralympics made them more supportive of the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all areas of society.

The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games left a strong emotional and social impression. After the event, more than 78 per cent of people said the Paralympics stand for the true spirit of sport, a figure that rose significantly from before the event. Across all countries, the Paralympics were strongly associated with values like inclusivity, inspiration, diversity, and respect. Compared to sporting events for persons without disabilities, the Paralympics were more closely linked to these positive values.

Kristina Molloy, the IPC’s Chief Membership and Impact Officer, said: “At the IPC we strongly believe the Paralympic Games is the world’s most transformational sport event and our independent research from Paris 2024 highlights the scale of how the event served as a global platform to shift public attitudes, impacting those who were previously not engaged the most.

“People who said they had little to no prior interest in the Paralympics before the event began experienced the most significant positive shifts. After watching the Games, their views of the Paralympic brand improved, and their attitudes toward people with disabilities became noticeably more supportive and respectful. The Games reinforced the views of fans and actively changed the minds of those who had not been engaged previously.”

Record global coverage transforms views

A record 225 Media Rights Holders covered the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, the most ever, with Nielsen Sports research showing that 736.3 million hours of dedicated live coverage was consumed by viewers, 83 per cent more than Tokyo 2020. Such widespread coverage had a profound impact on TV viewers, in particular on those who identified as non-Paralympic sport fans before the event.

As a result of watching coverage of the Games, the number of non-Paralympic sport fans who associate the Paralympic Games with high performance sport grew from 43 per cent pre-Games to 50 per cent after the event. In addition, the number that believe the Paralympic Games show the need to do more to drive social inclusion at all levels of society, grew from 64 per cent pre-Games to 73 per cent post-Games. Overall, 64 per cent of those surveyed globally believe the Paralympic Games is a high-performance sport event, and 72 per cent said they found the sport competitive.

Widespread global awareness of and interest in the Paralympics

Nielsen Sport’s research also found the Paralympic Games is now one of the world’s most widely recognised sport events. Of those surveyed, 80 per cent said they were aware of the Paralympics, with only the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup enjoying greater awareness. The breadth of popularity of the Paralympic Games is now greater than many other sport events such as the Rugby World Cup, Super Bowl, and World Athletics Championships.

Pierre Emmanuel, Managing Director Europe and LATAM, Nielsen Sports, said: “Our research shows that the Paralympic Games has cemented its place among the world’s most recognised and celebrated sporting events, with global awareness now surpassing many major competitions. What’s driving this engagement, among the 15,000 people surveyed, is the deep respect fans have for Para athletes and the values the Games represent, making it one of sport’s most powerful platforms for inspiration and inclusion.”

Underlining the widespread popularity of the Paralympic Games, 41 per cent of people surveyed said they were interested in following the event, with only the FIFA World Cup, Olympic Games and Olympic Winter Games garnering greater interest.

The main drivers of interest relate to respect for Para athletes, the associated values and spirit of the Paralympics, as well as general sporting enjoyment.

• 41 per cent respect for athletes who achieve sports excellence
• 37 per cent the values and spirit that Para sports represent
• 36 per cent interested in how Para athletes with diverse abilities find solutions to challenges
• 30 per cent want to support sports/athletes who deserve more attention.