Madrid, Spain. 16 September 2026 — Special Olympics (SOI) and the Olympic Channel have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishing a framework for collaboration around storytelling and content distribution for the coming years, with the shared ambition of increasing the visibility of Special Olympics athletes and events, and the impact on sport and its values.
The collaboration will explore opportunities to share Special Olympics stories through the Olympic Channel’s platforms and global audience, highlighting the power of sport to create opportunities, challenge perceptions and advance inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities.
Through the partnership, Special Olympics and the Olympic Channel will explore a range of storytelling and content opportunities, including athlete-led stories, coverage of Special Olympics competitions and other content that showcases the experiences of athletes, coaches, volunteers, families and communities.
“We are delighted to establish this framework for collaboration with the Olympic Channel,” said Zehra Sayin, SOI Chief Communications, Marketing and Development Officer. “Special Olympics athletes have extraordinary stories to tell, and sport provides a powerful platform to reach people who may not yet know about Special Olympics or understand the impact of our movement. We are grateful to the Olympic Channel for its openness to working with us and look forward to exploring new ways of bringing these stories to audiences around the world.”
For the Olympic Channel, the collaboration represents an opportunity to further explore storytelling that demonstrates the breadth and diversity of sport and its role in creating a more inclusive world.
Sport has the unique ability to bring people together, inspire and create positive change. We are very pleased to work with Special Olympics and to explore how we can help bring the stories of its athletes and the wider movement to new audiences. We thank Special Olympics for the opportunity to collaborate and look forward to developing meaningful content together.
At the heart of the collaboration are Special Olympics athletes, whose experiences demonstrate the transformative power of participation in sport.
“Being a Special Olympics athlete has given me opportunities that go far beyond competition,” said Leire Martínez Crespo, Special Olympics Spain athlete. “Sport has helped me grow in confidence, meet people and show others what people with intellectual disabilities can achieve. I’m really happy that Special Olympics and the Olympic Channel are working together to share these stories and help more people understand what inclusion through sport can look like.”
