Sky has announced that it will broadcast the world's first live 3D football match this Sunday, January 31st.
The showcase event - featuring Premier League title contenders Arsenal and Manchester United - will allow football fans to get a taste of 3D sport in nine pubs across the nation.
Locations in London, Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Dublin have been selected, and though Sky is yet to name the pubs, we're told each has been equipped with some of the country's first 3D-capable TVs and will offer viewers a required set of 3D glasses.
Sky will be hoping the event will kick start consumer enthusiasm for 3D TV, with the broadcaster scheduled to launch Europe's first dedicated 3D TV channel in April. Expected to feature movies, sport and documentaries, Sky 3D will be available at no additional cost to the 1.6 million subscribers of Sky's premium HD package, charged at £57 per month.
In order to make use of Sky's 3D broadcasts, consumers will need 3D-ready TVs. Models from big-name manufacturers such as Samsung, Panasonic, Sony and LG are expected to launch later this year.
Sky's director of strategic product development Gery O'Sullivan claims "2010 is the year for 3D TV", adding that "people have already embraced 3D cinema and because Sky’s 3D service uses the same kind of technology, we’re confident there will be demand for sport, movies, concerts and drama in 3D."
"The good news is that all Sky+HD customers already have the set-top box they need to enjoy 3D, meaning they simply need to buy any new 3D TV, all of which will work seamlessly with Sky’s ground breaking new service," said O'Sullivan in a statement.
In 2008, the BBC broadcast the first 3D sports event as part of its Six Nations rugby coverage. FIFA, meanwhile, has also confirmed that the 2010 FIFA World Cup - one of the world's biggest sporting events - will be produced in 3D for the first time in its history.
