LONDON 2012: Channel 4 launch Paralympic coverage - biggest event in their history

CHANNEL 4 have claimed the London 2012 Paralympics will be the biggest event in their history after launching their coverage today.

FUTURE STARS: Channel 4 hope to take Great Britain's Paralympians further into the public eye in the build-up to London 2012. Click to see full image (Channel 4)

It was also revealed BT and Sainsbury's are to be joint sponsors of Channel 4's coverage with the two London 2012 tier one partners sharing equal sponsorship on a number of Channel 4 programmes leading up to the London Paralympics as well as the network's coverage of the Games themselves.

Channel 4 has also launched a £500,000 search for British disabled talent to serve as commentators, pundits and presenters during the London Games.

Channel 4's acting chief creative officer, Julian Bellamy, confirmed today that, apart from programming such as the news, the broadcaster's schedules will be cleared for 150 hours of live coverage of the Paralympics, which run from 29 August to 9 September 2012.

The broadcaster won the rights to air the Paralympics at the beginning of this year. The event previously been aired by the BBC.

Channel 4 will mark two years until the opening ceremony with a series of programmes during this August bank holiday weekend, including the start of a new ten-part magazine programme called That Paralympic Show.

Speaking at the launch of Channel 4's Paralympics build-up today in London, Bellamy said: "The 2012 Games will be biggest event in Channel 4's history.

"We believe we can do for the Paralympics what we did for cricket. More than ever before, I believe Channel 4 can do something different and special.

Bellamy continued to state that research demonstrated 84 per cent of the public were unable to name a single British Paralympian, even though Team GB collected 102 medals and finished second overall.

"We are trying to dramatically change that lack of awareness," added Bellamy.