The Winter Olympics turned in record-breaking viewership numbers in the U.S. and abroad, with women’s sports delivering some of the most-watched moments. (Who ever could have predicted that women would win the Games? 😉)
With the Paralympics starting today, we’re not putting away our extra monitors just yet. After all, multiple members of the Parity community and their national team teammates are getting ready to show off their craft. (Check out Who to Watch!)
We can’t wait to follow along – and the data suggests that we’re not alone in this.
In partnership with SurveyMonkey, we surveyed nearly 12,000 adults from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia to understand interest in Winter Paralympic competition, the role of women athletes in the Games’ growth, and sponsorship ROI for brands aligning themselves with the Paralympic movement.
Here’s what we learned.
Notes: All stats below reflect a combined international perspective, unless otherwise specified. Details about research methodology are listed at the end.
If there was a medal for most anticipated women’s sports at the Winter Paralympics, Para Alpine Skiing and Para Snowboard would tie for gold.
Regardless of their favorite sport, Paralympic fans are hungry. When we asked U.S. audiences about their plans for the upcoming Paralympics, more than one-third (36%) of those who are excited about the upcoming Games (aka Winter Paralympics fans) said they plan to follow them more this year than in the past. Given that increased engagement is a core part of any sport’s growth strategy, we love to see these fans already making plans to be part of the Games in a big way.
We also love seeing athletes at the center of this growth, even outpacing the Paralympics’ oft-cited “inspiration.” Indeed, the athletes – their personalities, their stories, and their connection to audiences – are the top reason U.S. fans told us they are looking forward to the Winter Paralympic Games.
It’s not surprising then that among U.S. consumers who aren’t yet bought into the Winter Paralympics, the top reason they say they’re not is that they are not familiar with the athletes.
This lack of recognition can be quantified. Based on the responses from all countries we surveyed, participants named Paralympians just 6% of the time when asked about athletes they were excited to follow in the Winter Olympics and Paralympics. The disparate size of Olympic and Paralympic delegations certainly contributes to this gap, as the Olympics hosted nearly 3000 athletes compared to the Paralympics’ less than 700, but does not fully account for it.
Believe it or not, we find this statistic somewhat hopeful. While we wish more Paralympians were household names, if you ask us, limited athlete recognition is not the worst as far as barriers go…because it’s totally solvable. For example, what could happen if the Paralympics received more than 3% of the coverage afforded to the Olympics, as one study quantified? We’re proud to partner with brands that are helping to change the narrative, putting Paralympians front and center in their campaigns – and seeing measurable results from doing so.
At Parity, we know the power of Paralympic athletes – as colleagues, competitors, and brand endorsers. We’re not the only ones. Turns out, women’s sports fans do, too.
Across all surveyed countries, women’s sports fans are more likely than men’s sports fans to watch or follow the Paralympics, whether it’s the Summer Games or Winter Games
Greater interest in the Paralympics among women’s sports fans speaks to their unique experiences as fans and inclusive understanding of excellence.
For example, women’s sports fans have ample experience cheering for athletes who were historically excluded from participating in sports. In addition, women’s sports fans have developed an expertise in navigating a system that can make it hard to follow along – tracking down links to watch, merch to buy, and others with whom to watch.
All of this makes women’s sports fans well positioned to cheer for the Paralympics (and perhaps especially, women Paralympians). By the same token, Paralympic fans are keenly aware of inequalities embedded in sport, making these fans particularly attuned to dynamics that affect women’s sport.
Fans of the Paralympics have an inclusive mindset that extends to a strong belief in gender equality.
The vast majority (86%) of Winter Paralympic fans believe it’s important for women and men athletes to be treated equally at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Notably, Winter Paralympic fans believe this with conviction, as 74% said it was very important (the other 12% said it was somewhat important). On the whole, Winter Paralympic fans come in +5 percentage points ahead of Winter Olympic fans on this metric.
Paralympic fans’ expectations apply to marketers, too. Winter Paralympic fans (60%) are more likely than Winter Olympic fans (51%) to say that the Games’ sponsors are not investing enough in women’s sports.
This belief may in part reflect a sense that brands are not yet investing marketing dollars equally in women and men athletes. Nearly 3-in-4 (71%) of U.S. Winter Paralympic fans believe that marketers should invest equally–outpacing Winter Olympic fans’ answers by 10 percentage points.
If you have ever wondered if Paralympic sponsorships deliver ROI, consider this: 24% of U.S. Winter Paralympic fans have made a purchase from a brand because of their Paralympic sponsorship.
One-in-four fans spending dollars based on a Paralympic activation is not incidental. It’s intentional. That’s the quality of consumer that brands get in front of when they commit marketing budget to the Paralympic Games.
Given the data above that athletes are the primary driver of Paralympic interest, investing in athlete partnerships is a smart move for brands.
Women Paralympians offer a unique benefit for sponsors: Winter Paralympic fans are nearly 25% more likely than Winter Olympic fans to say a brand’s partnership with a woman athlete catches their attention during the Paralympic or Olympic Games, respectively.
While there were advantages to getting in before the Games, the next best time is today.
Parity is proud to partner with athletes competing in the 2026 Milano Cortina Paralympic Games. Whether your brand is ready to get in the game or looking to double down on your existing investments, we're here to help.
Methodology: This poll was conducted in partnership with SurveyMonkey January 15-January 21, 2026 among an international sample of 11,683 adults ages 18+ across the U.S. (n=4,693), Canada (n=2,293), U.K. and Ireland (n=2,581) and Australia (n=2,116). Respondents for this survey were selected from the more than 2 million people who take surveys on the SurveyMonkey platform each day. The modeled error estimate for this survey is plus or minus 1.5 percentage points for the U.S. sample and plus or minus 2.0 percentage points for the other countries. Data in the U.S. have been weighted for age, race, gender, and geography using the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey to reflect the demographic composition of the United States age 18 and over. Data in the UK/IE, Australia, and Canada were weighted for age and gender using data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to reflect the demographic composition of those countries. Throughout, we define a Paralympic or Olympic fan as someone who told us they were at least a little bit excited for the 2026 Winter Paralympics or Olympics, respectively. Women’s and men’s sports fans are those who answered yes when asked if they consider themselves to be such, respectively.
About Parity, a Group 1001 Company
Parity is the leading platform for professional women athlete partnerships. With a mission to close the gender income gap in sports and beyond, Parity connects brands with a diverse network of more than 1,400 women athletes from 85 sports. Through sponsorship activations, content collaborations, and strategic advisory, Parity helps brands authentically engage the most trusted voices in sports today. For more information, visit www.paritynow.co, or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.