NBC to supply cable and satellite affiliates with 3D feed from 2012 Summer Olympics

NBC said Monday that it will team up with Panasonic (NYSE: PC) to supply cable and satellite affiliates with a 3D feed from the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

The Peacock Network didn't say if it'll charge distributors additional fees for the 3D feed, noting that it will be available to any provider that takes its Olympics programming package, which includes video-on-demand programming and live and taped broadcasts on channels such as NBC, NBC Sports Network (formerly Versus) and other NBC-owned cable networks.

NBC didn't announce which affiliates have committed to carrying the Olympics in 3D. But it's safe to say that NBC parent Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA) will carry the Olympics in 3D, along with DirecTV (Nasdaq: DTV), which has partnered with Panasonic for its n3D channel. NBC will rely on the Comcast Media Center to distribute the games to pay TV distributors.

The London Games mark the first time that the Olympics will be available in 3D in the U.S., and may offer an opportunity for cable and satellite providers to use the Olympics to market 3D programming packages. In 2004, when HDTV was beginning to take off, NBC and Panasonic partnered with several major cable MSOs on a national ad campaign that promoted 3D programming. Look for similar efforts this summer tied to 3D programming.

For more:
- see the news release

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