NFL game set for 3-D broadcast

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Reflecting a growing interest in 3-D live events -- particularly sports -- 3Ality Digital will produce a 3-D live broadcast of NFL Network's "Thursday Night Football" game between the San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders on December 4.

It will be presented as a test to invited guests at three theaters -- one each in Los Angeles, Boston and New York.

3ality Digital -- the company behind the "U2 3D" concert film -- is overseeing production and transmission. Technicolor Digital Cinema is providing the satellite transponder time and digital downlink services.

The test will also provide evidence for the possibilities of 3-D televised sports in the home, as several consumer-3-D-ready displays will also be used that day.

The production underscores the interest in live 3-D broadcasting, both in theaters and in the home. There has been particular interest in sports. The National Basketball Association has experimented with the format with a few 3-D broadcasts for test audiences. U.K. broadcaster the BCC tested the waters with a broadcast of the Six Nations Rugby Championship.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter