Those shelling out the big bucks for 3D TV sets this year will soon have several dedicated channels to play on them.
On Tuesday, in the run-up to the big Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which is set to be a huge home 3D showcase this year, ESPN announced that it will launch a 3D channel on June 11, coinciding with its coverage of World Cup Soccer.
The sports cable giant, which has pioneered the adoption of high-definition over the last decade, has promised to broadcast 85 three-dimensional events on the channel during its first year.
Meanwhile, Discovery Communications, Sony and Imax on Tuesday jointly touted a new 3D outlet of their own. The 24/7 channel will broadcast a combination of nature, science/technology and kids shows culled from various Discovery channels, Sony’s library and third-party sources.
Imax also will negotiate 3D windows for big feature film releases running in its theaters.
Discovery will run the channel, with Sony providing advertising and sponsorship sales support. A board including officials from all three companies will call the big-picture shots.
More 3D channels and technology announcements are expected as CES kicks off on Thursday.
