The good news for tennis fans is that even if Roland Garros is over, another Grand Slam is just around the corner (starting the 20th of June). The digital side of the event that has been recently advertised is the 3D broadcast of the Men and Ladies’ Final by the BBC.
According to Daily Mail, the 3D coverage will not be for a wide audience as only 200,000 British homes have 3D- enabled TVs. Nonetheless, the Men’s Final will be screened in cinemas from main cities (London, Manchester, Glasgow etc.) and tickets are now available for purchase.
The 3D endorsement has been regarded as ”a leap of faith” for the quite conservative Wimbledon- ”renowned for its heritage and sense of tradition” (Ian Ritchie, CEO AEC). It seems that this year though, the All England Club has embraced technology, decision that coincides with the tournament’s 125th anniversary. Britain already took its ”leap of faith” in 2010 when screening the world’s 1st sport event in 3D (Manchester U. vs Arsenal).
In this instance, the 3D will still imply using glasses, as we are told by the British newspaper. Sony is in charge of the technical side of the project with six 3D cameras covering the entire stadium.
A viral campaign has been launched to raise awareness of Sony and Wimbledon’s partnership, featuring the well-known ”balls” being spoofed in London’s suburbs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znreR0ShdGc&feature=player_embedded
A world first from Wimbledon. The guys at Sony have been very busy especially over the last few weeks with all the prep and testing. If you have a 3D TV then tune it it will be an amazing event for sure.
Thanks for the tip Jason! I’m sure that many people are enjoying the event in 3D by now.