Sky to make TV history with the launch of 3D TV

01 Feb 2010

Sky has announced that it will launch Sky 3D, Europe's first dedicated 3D TV channel, this April. As part of the final preparations for this ground-breaking launch, Sky will preview the new service with a world first on Sunday 31 January 2010, becoming the first TV company anywhere to broadcast a live 3D TV sports event to a public audience. The Premier League clash between Arsenal and Manchester United will be filmed in 3D and broadcast over the Sky platform to selected pubs around the UK and Ireland, with their customers becoming the first audiences anywhere in the world to experience live Premier League in 3D.

To support this landmark broadcast, the nine pubs – located in London, Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Dublin - have been kitted out specially with some of the first '3D Ready' TV sets to reach the UK and Ireland. As 3D TVs become more widely available, Sky will roll out its 3D channel to hundreds of pubs from April, allowing football fans across the country the opportunity to experience a live Premier League match in 3D each week.

Once 3D TVs begin to reach the consumer market later this year, Sky will then make Sky 3D available to all Sky+HD customers, giving millions of people the opportunity to watch a wide range of content in 3D, including movies, sport, documentaries, entertainment, and the arts.

Sky 3D works with all existing Sky+HD boxes and will initially be introduced at no extra cost for customers who subscribe to Sky's top TV package and the Sky HD pack. Sky 3D will also be compatible with all 3D Ready TVs coming to the UK and Ireland this year, including all models from Sony, Samsung, LG and Panasonic.

To make the 3D preview a reality, Sky Sports will produce two edits of its live coverage of Sunday's game at the Emirates Stadium, one for its HD channel feed and another dedicated to 3D. Eight specially engineered 3D camera rigs will house sixteen of Sky's high definition cameras, to provide comprehensive stereoscopic coverage from all angles. The 3D broadcast will be supported by Sky's dedicated 3D production team and purpose built 3D outside broadcast truck, which will enable live mixing between camera positions, slow motion replays and the use of innovative 3D graphics. There will also be a dedicated commentary team to support the 3D edit.

Jeremy Darroch, Sky's chief executive, said: "3D is without doubt one of the most talked-about developments in television for many years. Sky has always innovated to bring customers the best possible viewing experience, so we fully intend to take the lead in bringing the spectacle of 3D to the UK and Ireland."

About Sky
Sky is the UK's leading entertainment and communications company, operating the most comprehensive multi-channel television service. More than 9.7 million homes enjoy the entertainment, movies, news and sports channels. In delivering entertainment through the TV, PC and mobile, customers have more control and flexibility over what, how and when they watch. Over 2 million enjoy the picture and sound quality of Sky+HD which offers 37 dedicated HD channels.

Sky+HD customers can record at the touch of a button, record two channels while watching a third previously recorded programme, automatically record new episodes of a favourite series, pause and rewind live TV and remote record. Customers can also watch Sky Anytime – a selection of the weeks best TV available on demand offering up to 90 hours of HD programming. HD ready TV with Sky+HD is Supertelly.