Wimbledon to Get First 3D Treatment in Theaters And On ESPN 3D
Tennis fans at cinemas around the world, along with ESPN 3D TV viewers, can see 3D versions of Wimbledon semifinal and final matches this weekend either on TV or at a smattering of RealD theaters showing BBC coverage of the events.
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ESPN 3D’s coverage, which is not live, begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time on Friday with a delayed telecast of the first men’s semifinal match from earlier that day. The second men’s semifinal match is to follow at 1 a.m. EDT Saturday . The taped ladies’ final match is to show a day later, Monday morning at 7 a.m. Eastern, and the men’s taped final will follow at 9 a.m. Eastern Monday, according to an ESPN schedule. Re-airings of semifinals and finals will run throughout Monday, said the ESPN website. ESPN’s 3D window coverage mirrors its rights on 2D, a company spokeswoman told us. There’s no match coverage of Wimbledon for ESPN on Sunday, she said. ESPN is not producing the Wimbledon coverage but is using a feed provided by BBC, she said.
SuperVision Media, Sony’s distribution partner for Wimbledon, said Monday that Wimbledon men’s semifinals will be broadcast live on Friday beginning at 1 p.m. British Summer Time (8 a.m. EDT) to RealD theaters in Europe, Asia, North America and South America. The women’s final is scheduled for broadcast on Saturday at 2 p.m. BST (9 a.m. EDT) and the men’s final will be broadcast on Sunday at 2 p.m. BST (9 a.m. EDT), it said.
We counted roughly 50 theaters on a Sony theater finder posted on the Wimbledon website that directed tennis fans to theaters in their countries showing the semifinal and final matches in 3D. In the U.S., AMC, Cinemark, National Amusements, Regal and Rave are the primary chains listed for Wimbledon showings in a diverse range of cities including many smaller markets such as West Des Moines, Iowa; Destin, Fla.; and Spring, Texas. There were no cinemas listed for major cities including New York, Washington, Atlanta, St. Louis, Detroit or Minneapolis. The states with the highest penetration of 3D cinemas set to show Wimbledon matches were California, Florida and Texas. RealD operates more than 8,600 3D screens in North America, according to its website.
RealD spokesman Rick Heineman said movie theaters set their own prices for the Wimbledon event that’s scheduled for a four-hour run. A spokeswoman at the AMC River East 21 cinema in Chicago said all Wimbledon tickets for Saturday and Sunday viewings would be $15 each, compared with standard ticket prices of $11.50 for adults, $10.50 for seniors and $8.50 for children. Tickets are also available for $15 at the Garden State AMC theater in Paramus, N.J., where the event begins at 9 a.m. A Wimbledon 3D ticket will cost fans $16 at the Cinemark Mesa in Mesa, Ariz., for a 6 a.m. showing. The priciest ticket we found was at Edward’s Long Beach Stadium 26 in Long Beach, Calif.: $18, according to the website. In comparison, “Cars 2” in IMAX 3D at the same theater runs adults $18.50, kids $15.50, according to the website.
A retractable roof was installed at Wimbledon’s Centre Court in 2009, after the men’s finals match the previous year between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer had been delayed twice by rain. But other courts at Wimbledon aren’t protected and are subject to washouts. We asked RealD’s Heineman what contingency plans are for theaters planning to show the events live in 3D in case of a schedule change caused by weather delays during the course of the week. “While rain delays are a possibility, the expectation is that these events will be shown live at participating theaters,” he said.