The opening ceremony for the Paralympics will begin tonight at 20:30 but the Games have been ongoing for London 2012 sponsors.

While some, like BA and Samsung, are pursuing similar campaigns for the Paralympics. BA has continued its wildly success “Don’t Fly” advertising campaign, only with a focus on the Paralympic Games. Samsung will expand its Olympic sponsorship by featuring content generated by 47 Paralympians on its website and social media outlets. EDF Energy is running a competition today with the Daily Mail with a prize of £10,000.

Public interest in the games is reaching an all-time high, but not all sponsors are being received warmly. Atos, a company that holds a £20 billion government contract to assess the work capacity of those who apply for disabled benefits. Paralympians and the general public has responded with protests and demonstrations against Atos’ sponsorship of the Games.

However, the Games must go on and Channel 4 will feature all the action, following a month-long campaign promoting its broadcasting of the Paralympics. Channel 4 will also provide digital updates of the medal count and news via TFL’s Underground screens and projectors.

One issue that may not be as prominent during the Paralympics is the banning of non-official sponsors from athletes’ social media platforms. Though Rule 40 is still in effect, Paralympians are not often sponsored by major corporations. Australia’s Marketing magazine lamented that the international sponsorship appeal of the Paralympics was akin to low-profile sports like sailing.

For more on London 2012 sponsorship click here.