The same conversation again

There’s something I keep noticing in sports & marketing…

While the Paralympic Games are taking place, it feels like we’re having the same conversation again.

Just like four years ago. And honestly, fourteen years ago as well. Because since the 2012 Summer Paralympics, we’ve known what’s possible: 2.7 million tickets sold, global broadcast deals, TeamNL live on TV, and iconic campaigns like “Meet the Superhumans” by Channel 4. That was the moment Paralympic sport truly peaked. What’s striking is how limited the progress has been since.

Paralympic sport is still too often positioned through the story of the athlete – if it’s sold at all -instead of the sport itself. Inspiring? Absolutely. But that doesn’t build a sustainable sports audience. Attention spikes around the Paralympic Games and then drops off almost completely. As if Paralympic sport only exists during the Games. That’s the core issue: there’s no real sports market being built around it.

And that’s a missed opportunity. Because the ingredients are there: elite performance, strong personalities, and stories that are impossible to ignore. The question is: who’s willing to truly invest in Paralympic sport? For brands that want to stand for something, rather than just stand next to something, this is an opportunity.

As long as attention has to restart from zero every cycle, growth will remain limited.

#darkhorses #sportmarketing #sportbusiness #sponsoring #disruption