ESPN Commits To S3DHD Broadcast Of The 2011 NBA FInals!!

I am a bit biased: I love 3D. I love basketball (I am 6'6" after all). Put the two together and I am suitably enjoying myself!

ESPN 3D has announced that they will be covering the 2011 NBA Finals in stereoscopic 3D!

Here's the official press release (emphasis is mine):
NBA Finals Televised for First Time in 3D

ESPN 3D, in its first year of distribution, will expand its NBA offerings to include The Finals – the pinnacle of the NBA season – this June, marking the first time the championship-crowning event will be presented in 3D. ESPN 3D televised the first NBA game in 3D when the Miami Heat visited the New York Knicks on December 17, 2010. Since December, ESPN 3D has shown six NBA games in addition to other programming.

ESPN 3D's upcoming NBA schedule (schedule subject to change):
Fri, Feb 25 8 p.m. Oklahoma City at Orlando
Fri, Mar 4 7 p.m. Chicago at Orlando
Wed, Mar 16 8 p.m. Oklahoma City at Miami
Fri, Apr 1 8 p.m. Boston at Atlanta
TBD TBD NBA Playoffs (First Round) – Game 1
TBD TBD NBA Playoffs (First Round) – Game 4
TBD TBD NBA Playoffs (Conference Semifinals) – Game 2
TBD TBD Western Conference Finals – Game 1
TBD TBD Western Conference Finals – Game 2
TBD TBD Western Conference Finals – Game 4
Thurs, Jun 2 9 p.m. Finals (Game 1)
Sun, Jun 5 8 p.m. Finals (Game 2)
Tues, Jun 7 9 p.m. Finals (Game 3)
Thurs, Jun 9 9 p.m. Finals (Game 4)
Sun, Jun 12 8 p.m. Finals (Game 5)
Tues, Jun 14 9 p.m. Finals (Game 6)
Thurs, Jun 16 9 p.m. Finals (Game 7)

Beginning Monday, Feb. 14, ESPN 3D began showing 3D content 24-hours a day. In its first year, ESPN 3D will telecast more than 100 live events.

About ESPN 3D
ESPN was the first to announce in the United States an exclusive 3D network in January 2010 which was the culmination of more than three years of testing 3D television. ESPN produced many 3D domestic telecasts in 2010, including: college football and basketball, the State Farm Home Run Derby, the Masters, the Harlem Globetrotters and NBA games. ESPN 3D first produced the USC vs. Ohio State college football game in September 2009 which became the starting point for the network. ESPN has developed best practices for utilizing and producing 3D technology in live game applications. In addition, ESPN utilizes cutting-edge technology located at the ESPN Innovation Lab in Orlando at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex at Walt Disney World to continue to develop innovative production enhancements. ESPN 3D is available in the United States to approximately 62.5 million households and has carriage agreements with AT&T U-Verse, Comcast, DIRECTV and Time Warner Cable. It will launch in 2011 on Verizon FiOS TV. Sony was named the first official sponsor of the network in January 2010.

Yes, I am predicting a Miami Heat vs. Oklahoma City Thunder NBA Final! Mark. My. Words. :-)

NBA All Star Game Weekend Goes For The 3! Live 3D Broadcast to 80 Theaters...

**SAME DAY UPDATE: Readers were asking about the exact theater locations involved so I have appended the list - check it out at the end of the post!

Jim here. This is a slam dunk guys - seeing the top specialists in the game during the NBA All Star Game Skills Challenges live in 3D! The events include:

- Haeir Shooting Stars – 2008 champion Team San Antonio: David Robinson, Tim Duncan and Becky Hammon
- Playstation Skills Challenge – 2008 champion Utah Jazz guard Deron Williams
Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout – 2008 champion Toronto Raptors forward Jason Kapono
- Sprite Slam Dunk – 2008 champion Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard

Basketball is one of the few sports where a skills challenge can be as exciting as the actual all star game itself - remember Jordan swooping down from the foul line? Or Spud Webb taking an elevator to the rim? Classic memories and it will only get better in Live 3D on the big screen. Count. Me. In.

This isn't the first time the NBA has been involved with 3D - they used 3DHD for the 2007 All Star Game and also for Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Further my friend Mark Cuban delivered the world's first live 3DHD event to a movie theater for 500 fans.

The Saturday night events will be broadcast live in 3DHD to 80 theaters on 160 digital screens using Carmike Cinemas, Celebration Cinemas, Cinema West, Emagine, Galaxy Theatres, Marquee Cinemas, MJR, NCG, Rave Motion Pictures, Showcase and UltraStar Cinema locations, and will serve fans in 35 states across the country.

The skills challenges are being brought to you through the NBA and the technology of Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. and Turner Sports/TNT.

One interesting side note: CORALINE opens in wide release on February 6th in 3D theaters. If the movie opens as large as some predict, the theaters may have reservations about opening a Saturday night slot up. Hey, for one night - it's worth it to see a live 3D sporting event!

THEATER LOCATIONS:

DMA	CIRCUIT	THEATER
Atlanta, GA	Carmike	Carmike Conyers Crossroads 16
Austin, TX	Galaxy Theatres	Galaxy Highland 10
Baton Rouge	Rave	Rave Mall of Louisiana 15
Billings	Carmike	Carmike Wynnsong 10-Billings
Birmingham, AL	Rave	RMP Patton Creek 15
Buffalo	Carmike	Carmike 8-Olean
Champaign-Springfield	Carmike	Beverly Center 18
Charleston, SC	Carmike	James Island 8
Charleston-Huntington	Marquee Cinemas	Marquee Southridge 12
Charlotte, NC	Carmike	Carmike 14
Charlottesville	Carmike	Carmike 6-Charlottesville
Chattanooga	Rave	East Ridge 18
Chicago, IL	Carmike	Carmike Market Square 10
Cincinnati, OH	Rave	RMP West Chester 18
Cleveland / Akron	Atlas	Atlas Cinemas Great Lakes Stadium 16
Colorado Springs	Carmike	Chapel Hills 15
Columbus, GA	Carmike	Carmike 15
Columbus, OH	Rave	RMP Polaris 18
Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX	Rave	RMP Ridgmar 13
Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX	Rave	RMP North East Mall 18
Denver, CO	Carmike	Carmike 10
Des Moines-Ames	Carmike	Carmike Wynnsong 16-Johnston
Detroit	MJR	MJR Sterling Heights Marketplace 20
Detroit	MJR	MJR Brighton Town Square 20
Detroit, MI	Emagine	Emagine Entertainment Novi
Detroit, MI	MJR	Southgate 20
El Paso	Carmike	Carmike 16-El Paso
Evansville, IN	Showplace	East 18 Evansville
Fresno- Visalia	Galaxy Theatres	Galaxy 10-Tulare
Grand Rapids et al, MI	Celebration Cinemas	Celebration! Cinemas Grand Rapids - North
Greensboro-H. Point-W. Salem	Carmike	Carmike Wynnsong 12-Winston-Salem
Greenville-N. Bern-Washngtn	Carmike	Carmike 16-Jacksonville
Greenvll-Spart-Ashevll-And	Carmike	Carmike 10-Asheville
Harligen-Brownsville-McAllen	Carmike	Carmike 20
Houston, TX	Rave	RMP Yorktown 15
Hunstville	Rave	Valley Bend 18
Indianapolis, IN	Rave	RMP Metropolis 18
Jacksonville, Brunswick	Carmike	Carmike Amelia Island 7
Kansas City	Carmike	Carmike University 8-Warrensburg
Knoxville	Carmike	Carmike Wynnsong 16-Knoxville
Lansing	NCG	NCG Lansing Eastwood
Las Vegas	Galaxy Theatres	Galaxy Cannery 16
Las Vegas	Rave	Rave Town Square 18
Little Rock-Pine Bluff	Rave	Rave Colonel Glenn 18
Los Angeles	UltraStar	UltraStar Apple Valley 14
Memphis	Carmike	Carmike 9-Dyersburg
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN	Carmike	Carmike Oakdale 20
Missoula	Carmike	Carmike 10-Missoula
Mobile-Pensacola	Carmike	Wynnsong 16
Mobile-Pensacola	Rave	Rave Bayou 15
Montgomery	Rave	Rave Festival Plaza 16
Nashville, TN	Carmike	Thoroughbred 20
Nashville, TN	NCG	Gallatin Cinemas
New York, NY	AccessIT	Pavillion Digital Showcase Theatre
New York, NY	Marquee Cinemas	Orchard Cinema 10
Oklahoma City	Carmike	Carmike 10-Stillwater
Orlando et al, FL	Rave	RMP Avenue 16
Peoria-Bloomington	Rave	Grand Prairie 18
Philadelphia, PA	Rave	RMP Promenade 16
Phoenix	UltraStar	UltraStar Surprise Pointe 14
Pittsburgh	Carmike	Carmike 10-Pittsburgh
Raleigh-Durham	Carmike	Carmike Market Fair 15
Raleigh-Durham	Marquee Cinemas	Marquee Wakefield 12
Reno	Galaxy Theatres	Galaxy Fandango 10
Roanoke-Lynchburg	Carmike	Carmike 10
Sacramnto-Stktn-Modesto	Galaxy Theatres	Galaxy 12-Riverbank
Salt Lake City	Carmike	Carmike Wynnsong 12-Provo
San Diego	UltraStar	Del Mar Highlands 8
San Diego	UltraStar	Mission Valley 7 (San Diego, CA)
San Francisco et al, CA	Cinema West	Boulevard Cinemas 12
San Francisco-Oak-San Jose	Cinema West	Cinema West 13-Livermore
San Francisco-Oak-San Jose	Cinema West	Cinema West Contra Costa 8
Savannah	Carmike	Carmike Wynnsong 11-Savannah
Seattle-Tacoma	Galaxy Theatres	Galaxy Uptown 10
Tampa-St. Pete et al, FL	Carmike	Carmike Royal Palm 20
Topeka, KS	Carmike	Seth Childs 12
Tri Cities, TN-VA	Carmike	Johnson City 14
Tyler-Longview (Lfkn&Ncgd)	Carmike	Carmike 14-Tyler
Utica	Marquee Cinemas	Marquee Orchard 14-New Hartford
Washington, DC	Marquee Cinemas	Marquee Southpoint 9
West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce	Rave	Rave Port St. Lucie 14

3D HD Live Event: King James Style!

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers will be broadcast in 3D HD to their fans in Cleveland for Game 2 of the NBA finals! Not just any 3D experience, but the very same Fusion 3D technology developed by James Cameron and Vince Pace (PACE Technologies) for the movie 'Avatar' due in 2009!! The technology is finally becoming mainstream and I couldn't be more ecstatic. Although quite expensive at this point, the NBA is proud to be a catalyst for change - for the better.

I know I would dearly love a ticket to see that game - more so for the broadcast 3D HD version and not the live! Never thought I would ever say that. King James should have an awesome game. James Cameron that is...