LG to Sponsor Final Four Theatre B'casts
CBS Sports is teaming up with the NCAA, LG Electronics USA and Cinedigm Digital Cinema to present the first-ever 3-D broadcasts of the 2010 NCAA Men's Final Four semifinal and national championship games. The broadcasts will be available live in up to 100 Cinedigm cinemas nationwide.
The 3-D broadcasts, held on April 5th and 6th, will be fully-produced by CBS Sports with CBS College Sports Network announcers Dave Ryan and Steve Lappas calling the games. LG Electronics USA, which is the Official 3-D Sponsor for CBS Sports' NCAA Tournament broadcasts and Official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, has signed on to present the showings nationwide.
"CBS Sports has always been on the forefront of new technology to enhance the viewing experience," said Ken Aagaard, executive vice president operations and engineering, CBS Sports. "Through our partnership with the NCAA and LG, and the technological innovations of Cinedigm, we are excited to be able to present Men's Final Four weekend in 3-D offering fans an exciting and different way to view a major sporting event."
"Bringing the Men's Final Four to consumers in 3-D is a prime example of how LG strives to deliver something better – superior technology combined with an unparalleled viewing experience – for consumers," said Peter Reiner, senior vice president, marketing, LG Electronics North America. "As the Official 3-D Sponsor, we are excited to partner with CBS Sports to bring consumers this immersive 3-D viewing experience and tap into the passion of college sports fans throughout the country."
"The theater experience is changing dramatically," said Bud Mayo, chairman and CEO of Cinedigm. "The Men's Final Four is a signature event, with millions of fans clamoring to be among the few who get to see it in person. Cinedigm's experience, having brought the 2009 BCS Championship and the 2009 NBA All-Star Saturday Night events to theaters in live 3-D, has shown us that fans who attend will feel as though they have courtside seats. We're proud to work with our technology partner SENSIO and with our growing national network of top-quality theaters to help bring fans one step closer to courtside."
Live theatre broadcasts of sporting events are a relatively new phenomenon, starting with the NBA All-Star game 3-D viewing parties first held in 2007. In recent weeks however, Nascar, UFC and the Black-eyed Peas/Blackberry have all announced upcoming live 3-D theatre events. Check out what Cinedigm did with this past year's BCS Championship game.
