It was only a matter of time before a 3-D network hit the airwaves, and to no one's surprise, it's coming from ESPN. Starting with the first game of this year's World Cup, ESPN 3D will air a total of 85 live games in 2010....

ESPN will launch ESPN 3D - the industry’s first 3D television network - it was announced today by George Bodenheimer, Co-chairman, Disney Media Networks, and President, ESPN and ABC Sports. ESPN 3D will showcase a minimum of 85 live sporting events during its first year, beginning with the first 2010 FIFA World Cup match on June 11 featuring South Africa vs. Mexico. Other events to be produced in 3D include up to 25 2010 FIFA World Cup matches, Summer X Games, college basketball, and college football, which will include the BCS National Championship game in Glendale, Ariz., January 10, 2011. Additional events will be announced at a later date.

”ESPN’s commitment to 3D is a win for fans and our business partners,” said Bodenheimer. “ESPN 3D marries great content with new technology to enhance the fan’s viewing experience and puts ESPN at the forefront of the next big advance for TV viewing.”

“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,” said Sean Bratches, executive vice president, sales and marketing.

I have to admit that, while I thought this technology was years away, I'm kind of excited to see how ESPN does in 3-D. I guess the next move is for ESPN to come up with a way to look while wearing 3-D glasses. In fact, that might just be impossible.

Fox announced yesterday their deal with 3-D theater company, Cinedigm, the theaters that will be airing the January 8th, BCS National Championship Game. I don't know why anyone would want to leave the comfort of their home, and pay $20 to wear silly glasses, but if you do....hopefully your town is on the list.

ALABAMA

HOOVER
Rave Patton Creek 15
(205) 982-4778
HUNTSVILLE
Rave Valley Bend Stadium 18
(256) 882-1202
MOBILE
Carmike Wynnsong 16
(251) 639-1748
MONTGOMERY
Rave Festival Plaza 16
(334) 244-1300

ARIZONA

SURPRISE
UltraStar Surprise Pointe 14
(623) 584-3880

ARKANSAS

LITTLE ROCK
Rave Colonel Glenn 18
(501) 687-0499

CALIFORNIA

APPLE VALLEY
UltraStar Apple Valley 14
(760) 240-9661
LIVERMORE
Cinema West 13 - Livermore
(925) 443-7403
MARTINEZ
Cinema West Contra Costa 8
click here for tickets
PETALUMA
Cinema West Boulevard Cinemas 12
(707) 762-0800
RIVERBANK
Galaxy 12 - Riverbank
(209) 863-9012
SAN DIEGO
UltraStar Del Mar Highlands 8
(858) 259-6619
TULARE
Galaxy 10 - Tulare
(559) 688-9006

COLORADO

COLORADO SPRINGS
Carmike Chapel Hills 15
(719) 531-5142
FORT COLLINS
Carmike 10
(970) 204-9654

FLORIDA

BRADENTON
Carmike Royal Palm 20
(941) 752-3796
FERNANDINA BEACH
Carmike Amelia Island 7
(904) 261-9867
MELBOURNE
Rave Avenue 16
(321) 775-1210
PENSACOLA
Rave Pensacola 18
(850) 475-2240
PORT ST LUCIE
Rave Port St Lucie 14
(772) 344-3580

GEORGIA

COLUMBUS
Carmike 15
(706) 571-0858
CONYERS
Carmike Conyers Crossroads 16
(770) 929-0612
SAVANNAH
Carmike Wynnsong 11
(912) 920-3994

ILLINOIS

CHAMPAIGN
Carmike Beverly Cinemas 18
(217) 359-4995 x4
DEKALB
Carmike Market Square 10
(815) 748-7887 x4
PEORIA
Rave Grand Prairie 18
(309) 282-7308

INDIANA

EVANSVILLE
Showplace East 18
(812) 479-9732
PLAINFIELD
Rave Metropolis 18
(317) 839-0525

IOWA

JOHNSTON
Carmike Wynnsong 16
(515) 331-3256

KANSAS

MANHATTAN
Carmike Seth Childs 12
(785) 776-9811

LOUISANA

BATON ROUGE
Rave Mall of Louisiana 15
(225) 769-5176

MICHIGAN

BRIGHTON
MJR Brighton Town Square 20
(810) 227-6327
GRAND RAPIDS
Celebration Cinema North
LANSING
NCG Eastwood Cinemas
(517) 272-9289
NOVI
Emagine Novi 18
(248) 468-2990 x1
SOUTHGATE
Southgate Cinema 20
(734) 284-8083
STERLING HEIGHTS
Marketplace Sterling Heights Cinemas 20
(586) 264-1533

MINNESOTA

OAKDALE
Carmike Oakdale 20
(651) 501-8411

MISSOURI

WARRENSBURG
Carmike University 8
(660) 429-4442

MONTANA

BILLINGS
Carmike Wynnsong 10
(406) 656-9717
MISSOULA
Carmike 10
(406) 541-7467

NEVADA

CARSON CITY
Galaxy Fandango 10
(775) 885-9500
LAS VEGAS
Rave Town Square 18
(702) 362-7283
NORTH LAS VEGAS
Galaxy Cannery 16
(702) 639-0363

NEW JERSEY

TOMS RIVER
Marquee Orchard 10
(732) 341-4966

NEW MEXICO

LAS CRUCES
Allen Telshor 12
(575) 522-4992

NEW YORK

BROOKLYN
Park Slope Pavilion 9
(718) 369-0836
NEW HARTFORD
Marquee Cinemas Orchard 14
(315) 768-3180
OLEAN
Carmike 8
(716) 373-6690

NORTH CAROLINA

ASHVILLE
Carmike 10
(828) 298-4885
FAYETTEVILLE
Carmike Market Fair 15
(910) 868-9791
HICKORY
Carmike 14
(828) 304-0089
JACKSONVILLE
Carmike 16
(910) 577-1382
RALEIGH
Marquee Wakefield 12
(919) 453-1003
WINSTON-SALEM
Carmike Wynnsong 12
(336) 765-1555

OHIO

COLUMBUS
Rave Polaris 18
(614) 781-8228
MENTOR
Great Lakes Stadium 16
(440) 352-8846
WEST CHESTER
Rave West Chester 18
(513) 463-2324

OKLAHOMA

STILLWATER
Carmike 10
(405) 372-0349

PENNSYLVANIA

CENTER VALLEY
Rave Promenade 16
(610) 709-8635
PITTSBURGH
Carmike 10
(412) 835-7074

SOUTH CAROLINA

CHARLESTON
Carmike James Island 8
(843) 762-4904

TENNESSEE

CHATTANOOGA
Rave East Ridge 18
(423) 855-9652
FRANKLIN
Carmike Thoroughbred 20
(615) 778-0775
JOHNSON CITY
Carmike Johnson City 14
(423) 929-7155
DYERSBURG
Carmike 9 - Dyersburg
(731) 285-8116
KNOXVILLE
Carmike Wynnsong 16
(865) 769-8115

TEXAS

AUSTIN
Galaxy Highland 10
(512) 467-6165
EDINBURG
Carmike 20
(956) 380-2032
EL PASO
Carmike 16
(915) 751-5613
FORT WORTH
Rave Ridgmar 13
(817) 566-0021
HOUSTON
Rave Yorktown 15
(832) 427-1540
HURST
Rave North East Mall 18
(817) 591-8540
TYLER
Carmike 14
(903) 939-8149

UTAH

PROVO
Carmike Wynnsong 12
(801) 764-9345

VIRGINIA

CHARLOTTESVILLE
Carmike 6
(434) 973-5972
FREDERICKSBURG
Southpoint 9
(540) 710-1069
ROANOKE
Carmike 10
(540) 725-5341

WASHINGTON

GIG HARBOR
Galaxy Uptown 10
(253) 851-8300

WEST VIRGINIA

CHARLESTON
Marquee Southridge 12
(304) 746-9900

Well I was thinking for a few moments that this 3-D thing was just a fad, but after glowing reviews from the Thursday Night Football game last week, it appears networks are going all-in on the technology. So much so that Turner Sports is planning on providing the NBA All Star Game in 3-D to approximately 35 states, 80 theaters in those states, and on 160 screens, this February. Via Turner PR....

Turner Sports, The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. today announced that they will team up to broadcast TNT’s coverage of NBA All-Star Saturday Night in Live 3D to 80 digitally-equipped theaters across the United States. The announcement represents the first-ever fully marketed deal to deliver an NBA sporting event to the public in Live 3D. The Live 3D HD event will be shown on a nationwide basis and continues to expand the league’s groundbreaking efforts in 3D HD.

Overall, the live 3D HD event will be shown on up to 160 screens in Carmike Cinemas, Celebration Cinemas, Cinema West, Emagine, Galaxy Theatres, Marquee Cinemas, MJR, NCG, Rave Motion Pictures, Showcase and UltraStar Cinema locations, and will serve fans in 35 states across the country

The 24th annual NBA All-Star Saturday Night broadcast, expected to be one of the year’s most watched sporting events, is scheduled to air on Saturday, February 14th, 2009 at 8 pm ET on TNT. NBA All-Star Saturday Night on TNT last year was the most watched in the event’s 23 year history, enjoying increases in households and significant growth in all key demographics.

The first I heard about the technology was following an extremely limited screening at last year's ASG, and the reviews then were tremendous as well. Something on this scale though could end up blowing up in Turner's collective face. I think the idea on a whole is a good one, but with not many people knowing about 3-D Sports (or where the heck a Cinedigm Digital Cinema is), there could be a good bit of empty seats come February 14th.

I mentioned the other day that the NFL is showing tonight's Thursday Night Football game in fabulous 3-D at a few movie theaters around the Country. More specifically at establishments in Los Angeles, New York and Boston. Well today, Pro Football Talk is saying that sources within the Raiders' organization are a little bit perturbed that the NFL didn't give the team the opportunity to promote a Bay Area screening....

The selected locales made sense; the company that created the technology is located in L.A., the league office is located in New York, and the game is being played in San Diego.

As we hear it, however, the Raiders felt a bit left out, since a screening of the game in the Bay Area would have been a great way for the organization to engender goodwill with current local sponsors, potential local sponsors, and folks who plunk down big money each year for luxury suites at home games.

Actually, it would have made even more sense for the 3D version of the game to be shown in Oakland instead of San Diego, since the actual version of the game will be played in San Diego, and the folks whom the Chargers could be schmoozing at the theater will be at, you know, the football stadium.

If you delve even deeper into the most recent AP story on the subject, they note that a handful of other owners will attend the screenings. Minnesota Vikings owner Zygi Wilf, New York Giants co-owner John Mara, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson and Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder, will be in NYC. Robert Kraft will be in Boston for the game tonight.

While I, like many, am not a fan of the Raiders organization, I have to agree with them on this one. Not only is it unfair to have other owners at the events, and not anyone from the teams involved, I think the NFL is missing a great opportunity to promote one of the league's lesser teams at the moment.

With the Raiders alienating their fans on almost a daily basis, this would have been the perfect time to hype a floundering team that currently sits at 3-9. Oh well.

Raiders Fume About 3-D Diss (PFT)
The NFL To Experiment With 3-D Technology During NFL Network's Thursday Night Football Game (Awful Announcing)

I always wondered what seeing a college band in 3-D would be like, and thanks to FOX will have that opportunity! FOX will be airing the BCS Bowl Games this year in 3-D at various movie theaters throughout the country. Via USA Today....

Via technology that's rattled around since the Eisenhower era, next month college football is coming to theaters. Fox will announce today plans to show 3-D coverage of the Bowl Championship Series live in theaters.

And Fox Sports Chairman David Hill says Fox hopes to let theatergoers use 3-D glasses to watch February's NASCAR Daytona 500.

Hill says sports in 3-D is "fabulous," and high-def TV "has just been a steppingstone" to get to 3-D. But even though TV sets already being sold are 3-D-ready, he says don't expect TV networks to lead the way.

Oooooh! The Daytona 500 too!? While I think the possibilities with the technology are through the roof, I have a feeling that the first run of 3-D events will be like how playing a computer game used to be on a Commodore 64. Hopefully I'm wrong though, and maybe I can sneak into one of these theaters to check it out. Anyone know someone who works at a Magic Johnson Theater?

BCS on Fox going 3-D in theaters (USA Today)

Sports in 3-D is something that networks have been trying to put together for quite some time now, and Thursday Night's game between the Broncos and Chargers (NFL-N) will be the NFL's first test of the technology. Via the San Antonio News-Express....

Three movie theaters — one each in New York, Los Angeles and Boston — will host a private screening for invited guests only to show a live 3D produced game sent via satellite to each theater. The game will be screened in auditoriums that are equipped with 3D projector systems.

These are the same systems used to show 3D family entertainment such as the current 3D movie “Bolt” or the live-action “Hannah Montana” concert film that was shown earlier this year.

The audience watching the game will be from the consumer electronics industry and people from the league's broadcasting partners. They will see the game and new TV displays that could be widely available in homes in the future, once broadcast standards, manufacturing costs and affordable retail prices are established.

Last year's airing of the NBA All-Star Game received a ton of positive reviews, and the use of the technology in Football is just another step towards all Sports being broadcast in 3-D. Don't be surprised if 3-D televisions are the hot technology item a few Decembers from now.

The NFL in 3-D (San Antonio News-Express)