Turner and NBA team for 3-D "All-Star" game

By Gregg Kilday

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Turner Sports, the National Basketball Association and Cinedigm Digital Cinema will team up to broadcast TNT's coverage of "NBA All-Star Saturday Night" in live 3-D to 80 digitally equipped theaters across the United States. Scheduled for February 14, the broadcast will play on as many as 160 screens in 35 states.

The event represents the first-ever fully marketed deal to deliver an NBA sporting event to the public in live 3-D.

Participating theater chains include Carmike Cinemas, Celebration Cinemas, Cinema West, Emagine, Galaxy Theatres, Marquee Cinemas, MJR, NCG, Rave Motion Pictures, Showcase and UltraStar Cinema.

"NBA All-Star Saturday Night," which also be broadcast live on TNT at 8 p.m. ET will feature the league's top-players in such events as: Haeir Shooting Stars, with San Antonio players David Robinson, Tim Duncan and Becky Hammon; PlayStation Skills Challenge, with Utah Jazz guard Deron Williams; Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, with Toronto Raptors forward Jason Kapono; and Sprite Slam Dunk, with Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard.

The event will employ Cinedigm's CineLive technology, which enables live 2-D and 3-D streaming currently to more than 80 theater complexes with more than 160 3-D screens in the U.S. Cinedigm expects to further expand its CineLive network throughout 2009 to at least 150 locations.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter