Paralympics on the BBC: 6th-17th September

27th August 2008

BBC television coverage of the Paralympics will be more extensive than ever before, with action being streamed live for six hours a day through the red button and via broadband.

There will be live terrestrial/red button coverage at the weekends and the opening and closing ceremonies will also be broadcast live, including the moment of the handover to London on the final day on Wednesday 17^th September.

Daily midweek programmes will b eon BBC2 between 1900 and 2000.

Clare Balding and Steve Cram will present the programmes from the Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing.

There will be more live coverage from 12 different sports in all and there will be two BBC roving crews to record additional material.

Athletics, swimming, cycling, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby will comprise the backbone of the BBC's TV coverage throughout the Games, but will be supplemented by coverage of other sports, particularly those in which Paralympics GB have strong medal hopes like equestrian and wheelchair tennis.

GB have two football sides competing and adaptive rowing is a new Para sport.

Commentators and reporters include Paul Dickenson, Bob Ballard, Eddie Butler, Ronald McIntosh, Nick Mullins, Eddie Butler, Phil Jones, Rishi Persad and Lizzie Greenwood-Hughes.

They will be joined by ex-Paralympians Tanni Grey-Thompson, along with Ade Adepitan and Marc Woods as guest commentators.

All the coverage will be streamed on the BBC's award-winning Disability Sport website, where there will also be a daily blog written from Beijing as well as reports and photos on all the main action, results and medal table. Visit www.bbc.co.uk/paralympics.

BBC Radio 5 Live will bring all the news throughout the Paralympic Games with a dedicated team of reporters in Beijing. There will also be live commentary from some key events featuring strong British interest.