MMA Junkie reports that UFC on Versus 3 will be in 3D for the first time in its history. Only those with 3D-capable TV sets through dedicated 3D channels will have the opportunity to see the event in 3D.
Via MMA Junkie:
“We’re really excited to start broadcasting UFC events in 3D,” UFC President Dana White stated. “UFC is ahead of the curve when it comes to introducing new technology, and we think UFC fans will really enjoy seeing fights in 3D.”
The 3D broadcast features a separate production crew and equipment.
Todd Harris and Kenny Florian will announce the 3D broadcast in addition to the regular crew of Goldberg and Rogan.
Payout Perspective:
As we wrote in our UFC 126 Payout Perspective, we had a hunch the UFC would head to 3D soon. It will be interesting to see how the broadcast would look in 3D. If you have a 3D TV and plan on watching the event, we’d like to hear from you after the event. From what I’ve seen of the new 3D TV technology, it is very nice, but if you need to wear special glasses to view the matches, I don’t foresee this growing in widespread popularity.
I mentioned this on Twitter yesterday, but I’ll reiterate that I’m not at all sold on this technology as a household product. The diffusion of 3D televisions will be delayed by the on-going mass adoption of HD televisions. Most people have just purchased an HD television, and the corresponding equipment for the first time, which pushes their next purchase down the road a few years. The nature of the technology itself is also a significant detriment as the requirement for specialized and expensive glasses to view the 3D images is somewhat of an inconvenience. Plus, the glasses aren’t functional across brands and that means if you want to entertain 10 people for a Sunday football game, you need 10 pairs of $100 glasses. Not cheap!
Yet, I will commend the UFC for continuing to push the boundaries in regards to how it provides and disseminates content. MMA is a sport that lends itself to the concept of 3D quite well. It’s just a matter of how you best provide that experience to the target market. Here I’m betting that the UFC in 3D at the theaters might earn a little more traction than the UFC in 3D at home. Imagine the value proposition: come see a 30 foot tall Georges St-Pierre superman punch in 3D. Talk about an awesome viewer experience!
Very interesting discussion.
I agree Kelsey, I for one just purchased my HD TV a year ago. There is no way I’m buying a new TV for another 5 years unless something happens to it (knock on wood). For anyone who is in the market, I would recommend a Sharp Aqua for price and quality.
3D MMA does sound cool though. I wonder when the UFC will start offering their PPV’s in 3D (particularly the big ones). They could probably charge a bit more for them like they do the HD PPVs.
Yeah, this sounds great but you would think they would have used this on thier theater events first. It would make them unique drawing more fans and also build a following for UFC in 3D.
With the extra cost of production (announcers, cameras, etc) and the few people who have this technology who even watch the UFC. The UFC is throwing a lot of money down the drain for a very small number of people.
3D TVs are a gimmick, mark my words. Like Jason said, it’s the silly glasses. I believe the future of 3D TV will be sterioscopic 3D effects that don’t require glasses, just give your eyes a sense of added depth perception when viewing the screen, ala the new Nintendo 3DS (the images don’t jump off the screen at you, rather your eyes sink INTO the TV presentation). There are already a lot of companies looking to develop this technology, as I think those in the tech industry realizes the current 3D TVs won’t last. There just a “hot concept” right now, so companies are jumping on board to capitalize. If you watch an entire UFC PPV in 3D, you will get a headache. I guarantee it.
You know, I have to disagree with 3D being a gimmick. Watching certain shows in 3D is no more gimmicky than having surround sound. You don’t need 5.1 Dolby for news broadcasts – but for those few action movies or sporting events, it creates a unique experience. 3D is very similar – sure, no one is going to go out and replace their 3 year old TV with a brand new 3D one. But, when the time comes why not have that option to watch a sporting event or movie in 3D? The glasses are something a lot of people get hung up on, but I think that they actually make the experience even more special and unique – particularly since not many people have 3D TV’s yet. And they are not that expensive anymore like they use to be – you can get them pretty cheap on ebay, from the manufacturer, or from aftermarket makers like TekSpree.com . I for one am excited that the MMA is moving towards 3D. I hope the NFL does the same. It certainly will not replace standard broadcast, but it does give us a new way to watch!