A Guide to the Paralympics: When and How to Watch

The spirit of competition in the city of love remains with the Paralympic Games set to commence on Wednesday. More than 4,000 athletes from 184 nations will be participating in the sporting event in Paris, which will last for 11 days. 

"This ceremony at the heart of the city is a strong symbol illustrating our ambition to capitalise on our country hosting its first-ever Paralympic Games to position the issue of inclusion for people with disabilities at the heart of our society," said Tony Estanguet, the president of the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Paralympics originally began as the Stoke Mandeville Games in London in 1948, but became  what it is today in 1960, as 400 athletes gathered in Rome to compete against one another. 

This year, the Opening Ceremony will run through the Champs--Élysées, a main avenue in Paris, as athletes stroll to the Place de la Concorde to a crowd of enthusiasts. 

Here’s what to know about the Paralympics. 

How to watch the Paralympics 

Viewers can watch the Paralympics on Peacock, which will cover the event live. NBC will have three time slots to cover highlights from the Games on Aug. 30 at 9 p.m. Eastern time, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. Eastern time, and Sept 6 at 9 p.m. Eastern time. USA network will also be airing several of the events, starting with Para swimming, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, among other things, on Thursday. 

People can also view the Games on the official Paralympic Games YouTube channel.  

When are the opening and closing ceremonies? 

The Opening Ceremony will take place on Wednesday at 2 p.m. Eastern Time. 

The Closing Ceremony, which is scheduled for Sept. 8 at the Stade de France, will feature more than 20 of France’s biggest electro artists. Starting at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time, the 3-hour long party will feature a parade and the passing of the flag from Paris to Los Angeles, where the next summer Paralympics will take place in 2028. 

Who are the athletes? 

Some 4,400 athletes will participate in the Paralympic Games this summer. Team USA will have 225 athletes participate, among them including the women’s wheelchair basketball team, who won gold in the 2023 Santiago Parapan American Games. Jessica Long, who has won 29 Paralympic medals, and Tatyana McFadden, who could become the most decorated U.S. Paralympic track athlete, will also be participating this year. The men’s wheelchair basketball team will also be looking to defend its title and win its third gold medal.   

Paralympic events differ from the Olympics in that for each sporting event the athletes that participate must have a similar impairment. In order to assess the impact of their impairment, medical and technical experts must evaluate the impact on their impairment. 

For example, for athletes participating in para badminton, there is category WH1, which is for athletes who use a wheelchair with “severely impaired leg and trunk function,” SL3, for athletes who can compete standing but also have lower limb impairment and balance problems while walking and running, and more. 

Are tickets still available? 

Tickets for the Paralympics are still available to purchase. There is also an official resale site here. There are also some deals that allow people to buy 2 children’s tickets for €10 if you purchase 2 standard tickets. There is also the Pass Découverte, which lets fans watch multiple Para sports in one day for €24. 

What are the sporting events? 

Athletes will be able to win a medal in one of 22 sports, including things like paracanoeing, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair fencing, para archery, para powerlifting, and more. 

There are two sports—boccia and goalball—that do not have a similar event in the Olympic Games. Invented in 1946, goalball, is a sport that was originally created to help rehabilitate blind war veterans. It is still played exclusively by athletes that have vision impairment. Boccia, on the other hand, is played by athletes with motor skill impairments. To play, athletes must throw balls towards a white target ball, or the “jack.” To win, they have to get as many balls as possible near the jack.