ESPN (Disney) and Discovery (with Sony and Imax) to launch very first 3D TV channels

[Elandyll]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100105/tv_nm/us_espn3d

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – ESPN and Discovery Communications Inc both unveiled plans on Tuesday to launch 3-D television networks reflecting a growing momentum in the entertainment industry to usher 3-D into the home.

ESPN, The Walt Disney Co's sports unit, said it will launch ESPN 3-D, which it claims is the industry's first 3-D TV network, in June and will air a minimum of 85 live sporting events during its first year.

Discovery also announced together with Sony Corp and IMAX Corp that they will launch what they claim will be the first 24/7 dedicated 3-D television network in the United States beginning in 2011.

Following the blockbuster success of 3-D epic "Avatar," many believe 3-D is poised to take over the home market and many 3-D technologies will be on display at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week.

"This will be a meaningful step to drive adoption of 3D television sets and afford opportunities for our affiliates to create value through new product offerings, and our advertisers, who want fresh sponsorship opportunities," Sean Bratches, ESPN's executive vice president of sales and marketing, said in a statement.

A lack of 3-D programing, in particular for sports, has been one of the key barriers to adoption of 3-D TV, analysts have said. Having to wear special glasses is another.

In addition, sports, perhaps even more than movies, is a prime driver of consumer sales for screen technology, including flat-screen TVs.

ESPN said its first broadcast will be a World Cup soccer match between South Africa and Mexico on June 11. Other events to be produced in 3-D include up to 25 World Cup matches, the Summer X Games extreme sports, college basketball and football, including the BCS National Championship game in Glendale, Arizona, on January 10, 2011.

ESPN has been testing 3D for more than two years and last fall produced the college football game between University of Southern California and Ohio State University in select theaters and on the USC campus.

(Reporting by Ben Klayman and Sue Zeidler; editing by Andre Grenon)

On bloomberg, they just anounced that Sony and Imax already have options to show Avatar in 3D on "their" TV channel

[masoud90]

That's awesome!

[tiger roach]

And so it begins...

It is just hard for me to picture everybody keeping a pair of those glasses in the living room for each member of the family. I think it will take a next-generation way to deliver 3D without them. If that is even possible.

[eli1277]

lame. 3-D is so overrated.

[Garou]

I just want all my channels and programming in HD.