Toyota and Rio games opened the door to Paralympians going mainstream

June 24, 2017 1:06

The arrival of Australia’s Paralympians on free-to-air TV and the support of one of Australia’s biggest marketers in Toyota has started to position Paralympic sports alongside maistream Australian sports, but the challenge remains in keeping athletes in the spotlight between major events, the CEO of the Australian Paralympic Committee has admitted.

Speaking at the Mumbrella Sports Marketing Summit in Sydney, Lynne Anderson said the exposure last year and an enviable medal haul could be the catalyst to see para sports become a regular viewing experience for Australian sports fans, creating a platform for even more sponsorship support.

She described the opportunity of extending the appeal of para sports beyond the window of the Games as “our biggest challenge” but believed the door had also been opened by Australia’s willingness to embrace more diverse sporting content such as the WAFL and WBBL.

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Simon Canning

Simon Canning was Mumbrella's marketing and advertising editor from 2015-2017. In a career spanning journalism and communications over more than 30 years Simon has become one of Australia’s most respected analysts and commentators on the advertising, marketing and media industries. A regular commentator on radio and TV, Simon has also worked in media in the US and UK .

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