ESPN to shoot 43 college basketball games in 3D

ESPN said it will produce 43 NCAA basketball games in 3D this season, marking the all-sports network's biggest effort yet to produce 3D content. ESPN 3D offered 32 college basketball games in 3D last year.

Its ESPN 3D basketball schedule will tip off Nov. 11, with Michigan State competing against North Carolina in the "Quicken Loans Carrier Classic." ESPN 3D will also cover all 12 games from the "Old Spice Classic" at Disney World Nov. 24-27, and 15 games during the Big East Championship in March.

The 3D basketball schedule features the first women's basketball game, the Feb. 13 Kentucky vs. Tennessee matchup.

ESPN's basketball schedule shows that the network will invest in producing 3D content when it finds backing from sponsors for high-profile games. The network also plans to begin producing National Football League games in 3D in 2014. Its ESPN 3D schedule could help affiliates such as Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA), DirecTV (Nasdaq: DTV), Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC), Bright House Networks and Verizon (NYSE: VZ) FiOS TV boost distribution of 3D programming packages to subscribers. ESPN 3D counts about 60 million subscribers.

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