14 DAY TRIAL // Arguably the most massive sports competition after The Olympic Games, the FIFA world cup always catches the attention of hundreds of thousands of sports fans, whether they make it to the stadium or they just stay in front of a TV or even an Internet feed. IT enterprises, however, might see more opportunities in such a global event than just the chance to enjoy a thrilling competition. Sony will be tasked with shooting and broadcasting the competition, and the company resolved to make the World Cup even more outstanding by broadcasting it in 3D.
"This propels the football fan into a whole new viewing dimension and marks the dawning of a new era in the broadcasting of sport," FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke said. "We are proud that the FIFA World Cup can serve as a platform for advancing technology and the viewing experience, and are truly fortunate to have Sony as a partner in this endeavor."
3D has been growing in popularity at an alarming rate, with IT developers creating newer and more accessible ways of implementing it for widespread consumer use. Cinemas, movie producers, TV makers and Television Networks have literally taken 3D technology in as their ward, providing it with all it needs (funding, marketing, advertising) in order to grow in popularity and availability as fast as possible. Shooting the World Cup in 3D will allow Sony to show the entire world just how much this technology has grown since its early stages when it was exclusive to cinemas and depended on the aesthetically lacking square glasses.
"The transition to 3D is underway, and, we, at Sony, intend to be leaders in every aspect. Our sponsorship of the FIFA World Cup allows us to leverage our cutting-edge 3D technology and premier products with dazzling content to produce a unique and totally compelling viewing experience. 3D viewers around the world will feel as though they are inside the stadiums in South Africa, watching the games in person," Sir Howard Stringer, chairman, CEO and president of Sony Corporation, said.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup will take place in South Africa, but the 3D footage will let viewers feel as though they are on the stadium itself. The "International FIFA Fan Fest" public viewing event will be held in seven cities, namely Berlin, London, Mexico City, Paris, Rio De Janeiro, Rome, and Sydney, each with a Sony commercial display that will be showing promotional highlight trailers in 3D. The company will also release the 3D film on Blu-ray disks and other media formats after the conclusion of the competition.
It is still unknown if actual 3D live broadcast will be possible, but, according to its press release, FIFA is currently working on acquiring live rights.