The British media has done a good job of supporting the London 2012 Paralympic Games – and so has the TV audience.

Figures from the event broadcaster Channel 4 show that a peak audience of 11.2m watched its coverage of the opening ceremony – the biggest Channel 4 audience in over 10 years.

The average audience across the four and a quarter hour show was 7.6 million, 40% share of the television audience. Commenting, Channel 4′;s Chief Creative Officer, Jay Hunt said: “The opening ceremony was a spectacular start to the Games and I’;m delighted that so many enjoyed it with us.”

There have also been ratings successes since the event itself kicked off. A wheelchair basketball match between GB and Germany was the most popular fixture on the first day, attracting a peak audience of 3.6 million (approx. 15% share).