With top athletes competing in front of sold-out stadiums and global television audiences in the millions, the Paralympics Games are starting to look a lot like their able-bodied equivalents - and big business is right behind, Reuters reported. Although the money for TV rights, ticket sales and athletes' earnings is not on a par with the Olympics, the rapidly growing profile of the Paralympics has made them a commercial opportunity in their own right. And while it took the Olympics the best part of 90 years to evolve into the business they have become, the transformation of the Paralympics is much more swift. "The media coverage has increased exponentially over the last 12 years," said Greg Hartung, Vice President of the International Paralympics Committee, which organizes the Games. "These Games seem to be breaking all records." Tickets have sold out for most events at the 14th Paralympics, held in London weeks after the Olympics, and organizers hope the sale of more than 2.7 million tickets will bring in close to 45 million pounds ($55 million). While most of the tickets were available for 10 pounds or less compared to the hundreds of pounds charged for many seats at the Olympics, tickets were often given away in the past - if seats could be filled at all. A cumulative total of more than 4 billion people are expected to watch the London Games on television, compared to 3.8 billion for the 2008 Beijing games and 1.9 billion for Athens in 2004, the Paralympics committee said. U.S. network NBC is only covering highlights, but the criticism it has faced for limiting coverage itself points to the growing importance of the event. The higher profile can also be seen in athletes' earnings. 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius, the South African face of the Games, can expect $2 million a year in endorsements from sponsors including Nike and BT, according to research from IMR sports marketing & sponsorship intelligence. That's a lot less than the $20 million or so estimated for Usain Bolt, the world's fastest man, but it's more than many able-bodied athletes will get. -- SPA
