Rio 2016 Paralympics: CBC Sports to provide extensive coverage

The Rio 2016 Paralympic Games are just over a week away and CBC/Radio-Canada is ready to bring Canadians up close to all of the thrills and emotion of the athletic competition.

From the opening ceremony on Sept. 7 through to the closing ceremony on Sept. 18, CBC will broadcast more than 1,000 hours of multi-platform coverage, the most of any Paralympics in Canadian history. 

Television coverage will be available on CBC, Sportsnet 1 and AMI-tv, and on-line at cbcsports.ca/paralympics as well as with the CBC Sports app available for iOS and Android devices.

Digital platforms

Similar to the 2016 Olympic Games coverage, CBC's digital-first strategy will allow viewers to choose from up to 11 competitions being shown simultaneously.

Scott Russell, the longtime voice of high-performance sports in Canada, will host CBC's English Paralympic coverage throughout all 12 days. 

Russell, who is fresh off hosting Olympic Games Primetime on CBC during the Rio Olympics, will be joined by three-time Paralympian Stephanie Dixon as well as Paralympian and broadcaster Rob Snoek.

For the opening and closing ceremonies, Russell will also be accompanied by Paralympic medallist Greg Westlake. 

Important partner

"CBC/Radio-Canada is proud to be an important partner [in] providing Canadian audiences more access to Canada's Paralympic athletes and their sports than ever before," Greg Stremlaw, executive director of CBC Sports, said via a release. 

"As Canada's Paralympic network, CBC/Radio-Canada is committed to showcasing the stories and tremendous talent of these athletes from Canada and the around the world across multiple platforms, ensuring Canadians will not have to miss a minute of the action from Rio." 

CBC's Paralympic television coverage will feature three separate blocks, all hosted by Russell. Paralympic Games Afternoon and Paralympic Games Primetime will broadcast both Saturdays and Sundays of the Games, while Paralympic Games Wrap-Up will air each night between Sept. 7 to 18. 

Radio-Canada, CBC's French-language station, will also have extensive coverage of the Paralympics, featuring close to 700 hours of television and live streams. Marie-José Turcotte, Philippe Gagnon and Jean St-Onge will anchor the coverage. 

A full schedule of CBC's Paralympic television coverage is listed below. 

Social media 

CBC will also have extensive social media coverage of the Games.

Twitter: @cbcolympics | @RC_Sport

Instagram: @cbcolympics | @rc_sport

Snapchat: CBCSports

Watch Paralympics on CBC TV

Wednesday, Sept. 7

• Opening ceremony (6:30 p.m. ET).

Thursday, Sept. 8 

• Paralympic Games wrap-up (12 a.m. local).

Friday, Sept. 9  

• Paralympic Games wrap-up (1 a.m. local).

Saturday, Sept. 10

• Paralympic Games Afternoon (12 p.m. ET)
• Paralympic Games Primetime (7 p.m., live in Ont. and east, 7:30 p.m. local to west
• Paralympic Games wrap-up (10 p.m., live in Ont. and east, 10 p.m. local to west).

Sunday, Sept. 11 

• Paralympic Games afternoon (1 p.m. ET, 10 p.m. PT) 
• Paralympic Games primetime (6 p.m. local) 
• Paralympic Games wrap-up (12 a.m. local)

Monday Sept. 12  

• Paralympic Games wrap-up (12 a.m. local)

Tuesday Sept. 13 

• Paralympic Games wrap-up (12 a.m. local).

Wednesday Sept. 14

• Paralympic Games wrap-up (12 a.m. local).

Thursday Sept. 15

• Paralympic Games wrap-up (12 a.m. local).

Friday Sept. 16

• Paralympic Games wrap-up (12 a.m. local).

Saturday Sept. 17

• Paralympic Games afternoon (3 p.m. ET, 12 p.m. PT) 
• Paralympic Games primetime (8 p.m. ET, live in Ont. and east, 8 p.m. local to west)
• Paralympic Games wrap-up (12 a.m. local).

Sunday, Sept. 18

• Paralympic Games afternoon (2 p.m. ET, 11 a.m. PT)
• Closing Ceremony (6 p.m. ET, live in Ont. and east, 6 p.m. local to west).