Channel 4 and Snapchat team up to provide immersive new ways to watch and engage with the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games

27 August 2024

Channel 4 and Snapchat will launch a new augmented reality (AR) feature on Channel 4’s Snapchat profile for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, allowing sports fans to immerse themselves in the action more than ever before. Fans will be able to put themselves into the heart of the action in Paris by trying out multiple Paralympics events through AR - including archery and athletics - using Snapchat.

The feature is based on a specially created Snapchat Lens: an AR experience that allows fans to interact with 3D Paralympics imagery, venues and sporting equipment, overlaid on to the real world.

Planned content includes daily highlights plus moments from The Last Leg which will see Adam Hills, Alex Brooker and Josh Widdicombe live in Paris giving their unique take on the day’s events.

Matt Risley, Managing Director, 4Studio, said: “Channel 4 has a rich history of firsts, from digital TV and on-demand to streaming. Our augmented reality experience with Snapchat for the Paralympic Games gives everyone the chance to put themselves in the shoes of a Paralympian, and get them closer to the Paralympic experience than ever before.”

Lucy Luke, Head of UK Partnerships at Snapchat said: “It’s been an incredible summer of sport so far on Snapchat, and we are very excited to see this momentum continue with the Paralympic Games. The AR experiences we have built on Snapchat with Channel 4 will be a totally new and unique way for fans to engage with the Games this year - and perhaps it will inspire some new athletes for 2028!”    

The enhancement enables Channel 4 to bring its advertising partners unique new opportunities to reach sports fans, with Snapchat and Channel 4 Sales to share commercial rights on the content. The partnerships follow recent research from Snapchat revealing over two thirds (65%) of 18-24 year olds’ interest in sports has increased.

The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games is set to be the biggest ever broadcast on Channel 4 with over 1,300 hours of live sport airing for free across Channel 4, More4, Channel 4 Streaming and Channel 4 Sport’s YouTube.

Building on the pioneering achievements of previous Paralympic coverage, Paris 2024 is set to be Channel 4’s most accessible Games to date. All content will be broadcast with subtitles, live peak time sport on Channel 4 will have closed audio description, while live sport on More4 and Channel 4 Streaming on weekday afternoons will include BSL live signing.

ENDS

About Channel 4

Channel 4 exists to create change through entertainment. Publicly owned yet commercially funded, Channel 4 generates significant and sustainable cultural, economic and social impact across the UK – at no cost to the taxpayer. 

The broadcaster’s distinctive remit is set by Parliament, and it has a role to represent unheard voices, challenge with purpose and reinvent entertainment. For more than 40 years, it has been a British success story, engaging generation after generation of young people.

With a unique publisher-broadcaster model, Channel 4 commissions its content from the UK independent production sector. Working with hundreds of creative companies every year, Channel 4 makes a major contribution to the local, regional and national economy, creating and supporting thousands of jobs and businesses across the country. 

In 2024, Channel 4 launched its Fast Forward strategy to accelerate its transformation into an agile and genuinely digital-first public service streamer by 2030. It is designed to ensure Channel 4 embraces the generational shift in TV viewing, elevates its impact across the UK and stands out in a crowded market.

From its bases in London, Leeds, Manchester, Bristol and Glasgow, Channel 4 is fully committed to harnessing the power of its regional structure to increase its impact across the UK. Through its training and development initiative 4Skills is opening up opportunities in broadcasting, with a particular focus on disadvantaged young people and addressing skills gaps across the Nations and Regions. 4Skills invests £5m in training, development and learning opportunities annually and this will double to £10m by 2025.

Channel 4 has the UK’s biggest free streaming service. Through Film4 Productions, Channel 4 also invests in British filmmakers to huge critical acclaim, producing 43 Oscar wins and 97 BAFTA wins in its history.

About Snap Inc

Snap is a technology company. We believe the camera presents the greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate. Snap contributes to human progress by empowering people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together. The Company’s three core products are Snapchat, a visual messaging app that enhances your relationships with friends, family, and the world; Lens Studio, an augmented reality platform that powers AR across Snapchat and other services; and its AR glasses, Spectacles.  For more information, visit snap.com.

About Snapchat

• Over 21 million people in the UK use Snapchat every month
• While we're loved by GenZ, over 45% of Snapchatters in the UK are 25 years or older
• In the UK, Snapchatters open the app an average of 50 times per day - to chat with friends and family, catch highlights from their favourite show or share moments from their lives
• Nearly 70% use our augmented reality lenses daily to help express themselves creatively, have fun and even try on and buy clothes