Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. (NASDAQ: CIDM), the global leader in digital cinema and in theatrical distribution of LIVE 3D events, today shared the success of its 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) LIVE 3D broadcast. Cinedigm carried the championship match between Spain and the Netherlands to select Cinedigm Certified(TM) theatres around the United States and Canada, marking the first-ever cinematic live 3D broadcast of the world's most popular sporting event final. Thousands of fans flocked to the broadcast; close to 50 percent of locations sold out multiple screens and all saw per-customer grosses.
Cinedigm partnered with SENSIO(R) Technologies Inc. (TSX-V: SIO) to bring 25 of this year's FIFA World Cup(TM) matches to theatres. Companies used SENSIO's technology and expertise in the theatre technology architecture to show all 25 LIVE 3D matches in 475 cinemas across 33 countries worldwide. Over the 30 days of the championship, more than 4,500 screenings of its most popular games took place across the globe.
"Amidst the buzz of the vuvuzelas, audience cheers and banter between Spain and Netherlands supporters, turnout for this event underscored the increasingly large interest in LIVE 3D events," said Jonathan Dern, president of Cinedigm Entertainment Group. "We are so pleased and thankful to have worked with FIFA and SENSIO in delivering yet another LIVE 3D success. Cinedigm is the only company capable of distributing LIVE 3D events on such a large scale and we are eager to invite audiences out to future events this year."
Attendees shared very positive reviews:
Greg Suess of ROAR: "There was a convergence of sports and tech fans who arrived more than an hour early to root for their team and enjoy the sense of community. We have global sports and entertainment clients whose fan bases are sure to flock to theaters for these events."
Bill Gallagher, Los Angeles, CA: "The 3D viewing experience literally does add a new dimension to sports viewing. I attend many sporting events, and the perspective was as if you were at the stadium (minus the vuvuzelas, of course). It enables the viewer to see how plays develop and get a closer-to-the-action feel than traditional broadcasts. I'm sure this will be the new standard for watching sports events in the coming years, if not months."
Bich Ngoc Cao, Los Angeles, CA: "Watching the World Cup finals in 3D made my experience more exciting and lively, as the plays had more depth and clarity. I also enjoyed watching the game in a theatre full of fans as their reactions to key plays also helped kick up my adrenaline."
Previously, Cinedigm used its 3D and digital cinema expertise to launch the first-ever commercially available LIVE 3D sporting event with the 2009 BCS Championship Game, followed by the 2009 NBA All-Star Saturday Night, and the 2010 NCAA Men's Final Four and Championship Games to digitally equipped theatres in its CineLive(TM) Network.
About CineLive(TM)
Cinedigm's exclusive CineLive product has been developed in conjunction with SENSIO(R) Technologies Inc. (Sensio) (TSX-V: SIO) under a domestic license agreement with Cinedigm and is designed to work with Cinedigm's satellite network and digital cinema systems equipped with 3-D technology.
