A colourful and vibrant opening ceremony kick-started the Paris Paralympics on Wednesday night, with around 4,400 athletes making their way along the Champs-Elysees to Place de la Concorde.
Like the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, which saw teams taken along the River Seine in boats, this evening’s event also took place outside of a stadium for the first time.
Approximately 65,000 people attended the opening ceremony and watched on as planes from the Patrouille de France released blue, white and red smoke into the skies above Paris.
Canadian musician Chilly Gonzales and French singer Christine and the Queens performed on the main stage before delegations from 168 teams began to paradedown the Place de la Concorde.
But Channel 4 viewers were disappointed that coverage of the parade was interrupted by regular adverts, meaning several teams were bypassed during the opening ceremony.
Viewers claimed the decision to cut away from the parade and miss several entrances was ‘disrespectful’.
‘I know it’s Channel 4 but is it really impossible to show the Paralympics opening ceremony without interruptions from adverts? I’m finding them intrusive and disrespectful,’ one user posted on X.
Another said: ‘You call yourself the home of the Paralympics yet you have adverts during the parade at the opening ceremony. That is such an insult to the athletes we are not seeing. Not impressed.’
One user, a BBC employee, added: ‘You’d think Channel 4 could bypass the adverts for the Paralympics opening ceremony.
‘I just think there’s a time and place. Not in the middle of the flag parade for instance.’
Another called it ‘blatant disrespect’ to the Paralympians involved.
As a public broadcaster, the BBC was able to show uninterrupted coverage of the controversial Olympics opening ceremony.
Channel 4 retained UK broadcast rights for the Paris Paralympics after being hailed for its coverage of the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Games.
Discussing Channel 4’s partnership with the Paralympics, IPC president Andrew Parsons said: ‘With London 2012 and Rio 2016, Channel 4 created a blueprint for how a commercial broadcaster can raise the profile of Paralympic sport and its athletes to new levels.
‘They have reached record audiences, in particular young people, identified and developed some fantastic new presenting talent and played a significant role in delivering seismic shifts in attitudes and perceptions towards people with an impairment in the UK.
‘They have committed to build on this fantastic work over the next four years and continue to innovate within Paralympic broadcasting and we look forward to working with them as they help contribute to the IPC’s vision of enabling Paralympic athletes to achieve sporting excellence to inspire and excite the world.’
Many viewers have also welcomed the coverage from Channel 4 following the success of previous Games.
British swimmer Ellie Cole said: ‘Channel 4 elevated us from unknowns to equals in the sporting world.
‘To actually be recognised for being elite, professional and real athletes is something Channel 4 contributed to in a big way.’
The 11-day Paralympic Games begins on Thursday, with athletes from 184 delegations competing across 22 sports for a total of 549 gold medals.
Wheelchair tennis athlete Lucy Shuker and wheelchair basketball player Terry Bywater carried the British flag for ParalympicsGB.
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