Eurosport and Sky ink Olympic 3D deal

Eurosport, the pan-European rights holder of the London 2012 Olympics, is planning on broadcasting more than 100 hours of 3D action from London 2012 and has just announced a deal with BSkyB that will see Sky 3D in the UK carry its 3D feed.

The channel will broadcast exclusive 3D action every day during the Games, in what is promised to be a mix of around eight hours of live coverage alongside four additional hours of the day’s main highlights.

Events to be covered include set-piece events such as the opening ceremony, closing ceremony and the men’s 100m final alongside a wide range of other events that will be broadcast in 3D for the first time, such as gymnastics, swimming, basketball and canoeing. Sky will also make a wide range of 3D Olympic highlights available on Sky Anytime, Sky’s video on demand service.

For UK viewers at least this significantly widens the scope of 3D coverage, the BBC already committing to showing the ceremonies and men’s 100m final live in 3D, while a highlights package at the end of each day will also be aired in 3D on BBC HD.

Here come the quotes:

John Cassy, Director of Sky 3D, comments: “We know from our own extensive experience that sport in 3D is captivating and we expect the Olympics to be no different. It’s fitting that the London 2012 Games will be the first 3D Olympics and we’re delighted to partner with Eurosport to ensure Sky customers are able to become immersed in the action like never before. Whether you’re enjoying the Games in High Definition or 3D, viewers will never have felt so close to the action.”

Jean Thierry Augustin, Eurosport’s Managing Director of Rights Acquisition, Distribution & Development said: “Eurosport has been innovating to provide fans with the best live sports experience for many years. We pride ourselves on giving a truly global view of the Olympic Games, letting supreme sporting performances drive our coverage. This opportunity to present the London 2012 Olympics in 3D to Sky customers will give British fans an unforgettable experience of their “home” Games and the international sporting heroes it will generate.”

Eurosport is an official broadcaster of the London 2012 Olympic Games and will devote its entire channel to daily coverage from the event. This includes broadcasting 13 hours of live HD action alongside a breakfast news show, daily highlights and overnight replays of the best action. London 2012 will be the 12th consecutive Olympic Games broadcast on Eurosport.