Paralympics 2012: London Draws More Viewers, More Ticket Sales Than Ever Before

9:39 AM PDT 9/6/2012 by Stuart Kemp

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London organizers said ticket sales hit 2.7 million, the Games have raised $15.9 million more than projected from turnstyles and broadcast deals were sealed in 100 plus territories.

LONDON – Organizers of the London 2012 Paralympics have declared the games a hit with more tickets sold, more money made and more global viewers reached than ever before.

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The London Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) said ticket sales for the British capital's second summer sporting event has sold 2.7 million tickets, just weeks after the London 2012 Olympic Games drew to a close.

That represents an uptick of 900,000 from those sold in the equivalent games in Beijing four years ago.

Ticket sales were originally projected to raise £35 million ($55.6 million) towards the cost of the combined Games, but that tally has risen to £45 million ($71.5 million).

Locog chief executive Paul Deighton, soon to take up a Treasury post within the British government, noted that while the budget of the Paralympics was combined with the Olympics, if relative costs were taken into consideration the Paralympics had "broken even."

There were originally 2.5 million tickets put on sale with an additional 100,000 park day tickets being releases after demand soared.

More than £80 million ($127 million) had been corralled from sponsors during both the Olympics and the Paralympics.

London 2012 was the first time sponsors sold the two events as a package.

And broadcast deals have been struck for the Paralympics in more than 100 countries including Channel 4's record-breaking bid of £9 million ($14.3 million) for U.K. rights to the games.

Xavier Gonzalez, CEO of the International Paralympic Committee, noted it was essential that the momentum and progress made by the event here was carried onto Brazil in four years time.

"I would like to thank Locog for the most commercially successful games and I am sure these are a benchmark that we will build towards Rio and beyond," Gonzalez said.