Television coverage of the Paris 2024 Paralympics has reached hundreds of thousands more viewers than the Tokyo Games, with billions more minutes watched across terrestrial and streaming.

Going into the final weekend, Channel 4 said coverage of the Paralympics had reached 18.5 million individuals, equating to 30.4% of the TV population. The broadcaster has described its coverage as “the most accessible Games to date”, with improved British Sign Language and audio offering and audio descriptions.

At the halfway point of the Games, the number of viewers was 4% higher than at the same stage of Tokyo 2020, while streaming views were double. Viewers have spent more time with this year’s Paralympics too, watching 4.3 billion minutes across TV and streaming, up from 2.9 billion by the same stage of Tokyo 2020.

Team GB’s Tully Kearney winning gold in the Women’s 200m Freestyle S5 was among the most-watched moments, bringing in 1.6 million viewers.

Molly Pickles made her TV presenting debut at the games, covering badminton, archery, and conducting interviews with GB medallists for C4. When Pickles had her right leg amputated after an accident seven years ago, she found hope in the idea that she could one day compete in the Paralympics, and trained for a couple of years in the 100m, before focusing on her media career.

“For two years, I said to myself every day: I’ll be in the 2024 Paris Paralympics,” she told the Observer. “Even though it’s not doing a sport, I get to meet so many of the athletes and really understand what motivates them. I feel honoured to be in this position. I’ve loved it.”

Pickles is part of an expanded lineup of disabled presenters, reporters and commentators, from veterans like Ade Adepitan, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and The Last Leg’s Adam Hills to fellow newcomers Rose Ayling-Ellis, comedian Fats Timbo, and actor Lenny Rush.

Disabled people are still vastly underrepresented in the UK TV industry. In 2022, only 8.2% of on-screen and 6.5% of off-screen contributions were made by disabled people. Yet 18% of the UK population is disabled.

“For people who are struggling, they might be newly disabled or haven’t had much exposure to people like them, it’s just so reassuring to know you’re not alone,” Pickles said. “When you can see something that you relate to, it helps you have more self-belief that you’re capable too. That is priceless.”

C4’s coverage of previous Paralympics has incorporated BSL and live audio description into repeats of daily highlights and comedy show The Last Leg. This year, both programmes had audio description available during live broadcasts, with BSL versions broadcast simultaneously on 4Seven. Live sports coverage, presented by Clare Balding and Aying-Ellis, has featured BSL every afternoon, while live audio description has been part of evening coverage.

Pickles praised efforts to make Paralympics coverage more accessible, and said measures have extended behind the scenes too. “Channel 4 and the Paralympics are showcasing and paving the way for how TV should be done,” she said. “They really are practising what they preach behind the scenes … but it’s going to be a crazy reality when we go back to normal and things are not accessible any more.”

Pickles said witnessing the athletes in action has been “eye-opening” and rekindled her own interest in competing: “I admire them so much. It takes so much skill and mental strength.”

GB athlete Hannah Moore was one of the first disabled people that Pickles met after losing her leg. Moore took home a bronze medal in the triathlon and Pickles had the chance to interview her. “It was a really nice full circle moment to be sat there with her,” Pickles said. “I get to showcase these incredible athletes to the world. No words can describe how that feels.”