Live NFL broadcast to air in 3D as "proof of concept"

As the NFL gobbles up even more market share in the United States, it follows logic to see the next big in-home entertainment push side with it in order to garner attention. With every company and its third subsidiary twice removed trying to shove 3D into the home, we'd say starting with the NFL is a brilliant move. In a closed-to-the-public "proof of concept" demonstration, next week's matchup between the San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders will air live in 3D to select theaters in Los Angeles, New York and Boston. Third-dimension mainstays 3ality Digital and RealD will play critical roles in the delivery, though it remains unclear what exactly the NFL and 3D backers in general plan to do afterwards. If you'll recall, this isn't the first pro sporting event this year that was beamed in 3D to nearby theaters, but we can't think of anything more appealing than 300-pound gentleman crushing each other just inches from your retinas.

[Thanks, Jesse]

[Cubfan786 @ Nov 24th 2008 12:19PM]

Sumo Wrestling??

[The Dude @ Nov 24th 2008 1:11PM]

NICE! or Curling, or Diving?

[Hashbrown Hunter @ Nov 24th 2008 1:53PM]

Diving is already intense as hell...but in 3D?





*brain becomes sloppy goo*

[Speney G @ Nov 24th 2008 12:22PM]

Are we including the presidential race as a pro sporting event? If we are they're way ahead in crappy technology (i.e. holograms).

[TT @ Nov 24th 2008 4:48PM]

can't american come up with some sports (besides basketball) on their own instead of copying others' sports and meanwhile laughing at what they are copying? baseball is basically cricket, football is basically soccer using hands. just to let you ignorant ppl know, soccer has much much more fans from worldwide and also much longer history.

[BananaBoat @ Nov 25th 2008 5:35AM]

Soccer needs a serious upgrade. Do you know how boring it is to watch a multi-hour game that ends in a tie? Baseball is more entertaining, and that is saying a lot. Maybe they'd revoke my Englishman license for saying so, but I would rather watch beach volleyball than soccer. Luckily for me, they can't reach me and my Englishman license from across the pond.

If it were up to me, I'd put metal spikes on the ball. If you hand ball, you lose. You lose in a painful fashion. It would be epic. Who wouldn't come to see that?

[BananaBoat @ Nov 25th 2008 7:09AM]

Meh, I can't reply properly anymore.

[F1Mikal @ Nov 24th 2008 12:26PM]

The NFL is feeling the pressure of proper football.

They are stilll the big Gorilla in the room, but only in America.
Unfortunately many people are realising that the average length of play is 7 seconds and that is NOT a sport but a game.

BTW, why don't they just change the name to American Throwball.
Seems more appropriate.

My 2pence.

F1MIKAL

[Chris Are @ Nov 24th 2008 12:39PM]

you're silly.

[Prestwick @ Nov 24th 2008 12:40PM]

Since when was Aussie Rules Football making deep inroads into America?

[ethana2 @ Nov 24th 2008 12:44PM]

As an american, I hate 'football', basketball, and baseball. I don't really know why..
Soccer, badminton, and tennis are a great deal of fun though.

[rock99rock @ Nov 24th 2008 1:18PM]

@ethana2

Did you go to etiquette school as a young girl?

[coffee @ Nov 24th 2008 2:28PM]

The main differences between American Football and Soccer is that teams actually score goals in American Football, the majority of games don't end in a tie, and when you get hurt in American Football, you really get hurt - you don't fall down, cry like a girl, and then hop up after the penalty and keep playing.

Oh, and the fans don't all kill each other after the match. Except maybe in Philly.

[Lars @ Nov 24th 2008 2:31PM]

I'm with ethana2. Nothing could be more boring to me than watching football or baseball, and to a lesser extent, basketball and soccer.

But saying people will wake up and realize there's only 7 seconds of action every few minutes... now that's just stupid... obviously people love these sports regardless of how little action there is. I can understand that even though they're not my thing.

[rock99rock @ Nov 24th 2008 3:34PM]

Arguably the most intense 7 seconds in sports. Sports that don't involve machinery that is.

[Razor @ Nov 24th 2008 11:44PM]

Why not call soccer, or as the others like to call it european football, "Yard Kick Tennis?"

All they ever do is kick the ball back and forth. And, at least tennis has real injuries, ever hear of tennis elbow? There is no magic spray for that my friend!

[Slev @ Nov 24th 2008 12:28PM]

How about just streaming NFL on the internets like every other f'ing sport? Two words: Fantasy Football. An online NFL subscription based service in the US would be a money printing press.

[Professor Tom @ Nov 24th 2008 12:33PM]

A Money Printing Press in this Bush economy? Better wait until Lord and Savior Brack Obama The Most Merciful assumes his throne at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

[nerdtalker @ Nov 24th 2008 12:40PM]

How about the NFL do just about *anything* which isn't entirely fueled by its desire for more and more gobs of $$$.

Honestly, already it's a bit insane with the whole "the big day," "the-event-which-shall-not-be-named," "S-Day" nonsense that they got off on. You honestly think they'd do something vis-a-vis the olympics and silverlight multicast the whole thing over the internet? Goodness gracious boy, pretty soon we'll be allowing fair use rights to clips of the thing for just about anyone! The horror!

[Dude @ Nov 24th 2008 12:33PM]

People still watch the NFL?

//prefers College and /Madden 2009

[From My Cube @ Nov 24th 2008 12:33PM]

but will they have $7.00 beer at the movie theater?

[Chuckles McGee @ Nov 24th 2008 4:15PM]

$20 beer if you want the 64 ouncer.

[Alan Wells @ Nov 24th 2008 12:34PM]

Too bad I'm actually gonna be at the game.

[Ghen @ Nov 24th 2008 12:59PM]

Dude thats totally advanced-3d you're cheating.

[darklighter @ Nov 24th 2008 12:34PM]

Whose bright idea was it to broadcast this everywhere except San Diego and Oakland?

[Ghen @ Nov 24th 2008 12:59PM]

They want the technology to be in places where it could catch on for one. Also, they want the technology to take center stage in the presentation. Not the fanboyism of home crowds.

[TVGenius @ Nov 24th 2008 1:37PM]

Besides, do you really want those rivals' fans in one theater? The Raiders fans have a habit of getting stabby.

[haX0r @ Nov 24th 2008 2:57PM]

Agreed. That is pretty stupid but L.A. still has a lot of Raider fans since they were part of the city for a while. Most of SoCal is full of Raider fans. I went to a game in S.D. once and almost half the stadium was full of Raider fans. The Nation comes out when the games are local.

But they should have made it on BOTH cities.

[Prestwick @ Nov 24th 2008 12:36PM]

Whoa whoa,

Guys, the BBC already did this earlier this year when it televised England vs Scotland in the Six Nations Championship in 3D using similar technology.

This is old news.

[tweak @ Nov 24th 2008 12:36PM]

What would be really cool is if the whole stadium was lined with cameras, both the ring and then above the upper decks and we all had table top 3D displays that would allow us to watch the games as if we were looking at a foosball game that was suddenly brought to life.

[BK @ Nov 24th 2008 2:37PM]

there is a sprint, or verizon commercial with that in it. awesome idea.

[Lazerface @ Nov 24th 2008 4:36PM]

sure, you'll just need to spend a couple mil a game to actually get the equipment/crew/infrastructure in place at the stadium, and a few billion more for distribution

[bandigolo @ Nov 24th 2008 12:39PM]

Totally lame that this is closed to the public. I would be there for sure.

btw, F1Mikal, go blow it out your pompous euro ass.

My "two cents." Turd.

-Bandigolo

[Chris Are @ Nov 24th 2008 12:42PM]

Do people still watch football on Thanksgiving? I figured most people played Wii. My mom asked me to bring mine this year. :-)

But seriously, I think this is a good idea. It's been done before (as mentioned above) but it's a good way to get the concept of 3D tv to the public. Most people probably don't know they're trying to do this.

[Patriks7 @ Nov 24th 2008 12:44PM]

Use this for porn already!

[dark star @ Nov 24th 2008 12:50PM]

Amen!!!

y anyone wants to see men tackling each other is beyond my comprehension.

[Patriks7 @ Nov 24th 2008 1:46PM]

Go women tackling!

[William Hartmann @ Nov 24th 2008 6:48PM]

Women's Mud Wrestling in 3D, more Tivo recordings then Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction.

[Prestwick @ Nov 24th 2008 12:46PM]

The BBC trial back in Feb/March was an open invite and the biggest challenge was keeping everything dry in the heavy rain which was thundering down at Murrayfield, Edinburgh for the game.

Good Calcutta Cup match though and it was great that it was presented in 3D. The BBC haven't tried it since though, maybe next year...

[BigD145 @ Nov 24th 2008 12:45PM]

And thus football becomes less than it already is.

[Brandon @ Nov 24th 2008 12:48PM]

I never understood why 3D never took off. I don't watch sports, but I could probably sit through a few 3D games!

[Prestwick @ Nov 24th 2008 12:50PM]

It depends on the sport I suppose. If you have sports like Dive-a-thon (Soccer) or Athletics then 3D would be perfect but for sports like American Football, Hockey and Rugby, where alot of what goes on has to be very carefully televised to make sure that the viewers see most of whats going on, it is much harder to televise in 3D.

[Hackettman @ Nov 24th 2008 12:58PM]

Football needs this since the story broke that football stadium tickets are going to be RIDICULOUS..... I was thinking about going to a giants game in the new stadium and after seeing the price Ill see it in 3d and be happy...... Now the theaters will be packed since you pay 1/15th the price and dont have to deal with the weather.......

[H Beast @ Nov 24th 2008 1:09PM]

we can't think of anything more appealing than 300-pound gentleman crushing each other just inches from your retinas...

I can: pornography.

[Harry Wagstaff @ Nov 24th 2008 2:43PM]

Depending on what you're into, there might be less difference between the two than you think. Or less difference than you like to think, anyway.

[Maestro @ Nov 24th 2008 1:06PM]

My Samsung LED DLP has some kind of unused 3-D feature. Would love to see this somehow worked in to the scheme.

[Don Corleone @ Nov 24th 2008 1:21PM]

3D Football is cool and all that, but can I control the human players?

[Skorpius @ Nov 24th 2008 2:49PM]

The Raiders? Why do they want to test this out on a lower tier team (their surprising win yesterday notwithstanding)?

[bandigolo @ Nov 24th 2008 3:29PM]

or the Chargers for that matter.

no plays over 20 yards = less cameras

[Paulmichael @ Nov 24th 2008 3:05PM]

Hey, maybe they can do holograms next!