ESPN Delay Showing Monday Night Football Games in 3D until 2014

ESPN’s showing of NFL Monday Night Football Games in 3D have been delayed after the sports network said it won’t begin producing football in 3D until 2014 after its recent $15.2 billion rights deal.

ESPN’s plan to produce football in 3D should dismiss speculation that the all-sports network was thinking about dismissing its ESPN 3D channel, making viewers wait three years to watch the nation’s most popular sport in 3D doesn’t send the right signals when it comes to the sales of 3D-enabled TVs.

But ESPN’s commitment to shoot football games in 3D will have a significant impact on cable operators and technology vendors, in the long term. Most cable operators that carry ESPN 3D and other 3D networks set aside a 6 MHz channel for the 3D feed. But if ESPN ends up delivering 3D football in full resolution, distributors could be forced to set aside additional channel capacity.

The ESPN’s broadcast deal with the NFL is considered one of the biggest in history. To see this news click here