Christie® today announced that it is working with ESPN to project the ESPN 3D telecast of the BCS National Championship Game during a viewing party at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in the Las Vegas Hilton Theater, January 9. Featuring an elite audience of media and industry leaders from around the world, the event represents the future of live-screen sports television. It will take the audience beyond the flat screen into the third dimension of space, with two powerful Christie Solaria™ Series CP2230 3D projectors with RealD XL Cinema Systems lighting up the screen.
ESPN 3D is the first network in the United States to offer exciting and groundbreaking 3D sports coverage 24/7. Fans will catch all the action when the Louisiana State University (LSU) Tigers take on the Alabama Crimson Tide for the national championship. The network is hosting the event at CES in conjunction with Christie, as well as RealD (NYSE: RLD) and Marchon 3D’s EX3D Eyewear.
“Watching sports in 3D adds an exciting new dimension to ‘the thrill of victory’ that a 2D image cannot provide,” noted Craig Sholder, vice president, Entertainment Solutions, Christie. “Christie 3D digital cinema projectors are found in theaters around the world, entertaining a new generation of moviegoers with exciting 3D feature movies, as well as alternative content that includes musical performances, theater and other entertainment and cultural events. Digital 3D is especially ideal for coverage of the world of sports, where fans want action that is literally ‘in your face.’”
The BCS National Championship is the final bowl game of the U.S. college football season that determines the national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl division. It pits the two highest ranking college teams as determined by various national and industry polls. This year the LSU Tigers battle the Alabama Crimson Tide in their first meeting since LSU defeated Alabama during regular season play. CES is the world's largest consumer technology tradeshow, with more than 2,700 global technology companies unveiling the latest products targeting consumers.
“The Christie CP2230 was the ideal choice for the venue. It is arguably the brightest digital cinema projector available, offering crisp, clean images from the farthest distance to meet the needs of the most demanding 3D installations,” added Sholder.
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 has produced many 3D domestic telecasts in 2010 and 2011, including the BCS National Championship game, the Masters, X Games, multiple college football and basketball games, the State Farm Home Run Derby and more . ESPN has developed best practices for utilizing the technology in live game applications which have provided the ability to streamline workflow operations, adjust 3D camera positioning, perform transmission tests and gauge fan reaction to a 3D telecast versus a traditional telecast. 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 more than 60 million households and has carriage agreements with Comcast, DIRECTV, Time Warner Cable and Verizon FiOS. Sony was named the first official sponsor of the network in January 2010.
