It's eight distributors in for YES's 3D presentation of the July 10-11 New York Yankees-Seattle Mariners games from Seattle.
The contests will mark the first Major League Baseball games to be televised in 3D. Panasonic and DirecTV are the presenting sponsors of the two 3D telecasts.
In addition to DirecTV and Verizon FiOS, which previously announced that it was on YES's roster for the 3D telecasts, Blue Ridge Communications, Cablevision, Comcast, Cox, Service Electric Broadband Cable and Time Warner Cable will make the games available in the enhanced format this weekend.
FSN NW officials said Comcast would carry the 3D versions of the games throughout the state of Washington, while Time Warner Cable will make them available in the eastern part of the state. A spokeswoman said the RSN continues to talk with other carriers about picking up the 3D ballgames.
The Yankees-Mariners telecasts will be the latest in a recent run of sports getting the 3D treatment: part of golf's The Masters tournament were shot by ESPN and distributed by Comcast Media Center to a number of video providers; CBS presented the Final Four and championship game in the advanced format in select theaters; and MSG offered the New York Ranger-New York Islanders National Hockey League game, which was available exclusively to Cablevision homes and a theater at the MSG, in the format during late March.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup has been the leading attraction of the ESPN 3D network, which kicked off on June 11. Moreover on July 3, Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks joined DirecTV's n3D network in televising Turner and NASCAR's 3D version of Coke Zero 400 from Daytona International Speedway.
Also on deck: ESPN 3D will air the State Farm Home Run Derby on July 12, while Fox will air the MLB All-Star Game in 3D the following night.
Back in the northeast, the aforementioned eight distributors will show the MLB games within the Yankees' home territory throughout New York State and Connecticut, north and central New Jersey, and northeast Pennsylvania accordingly: Blue Ridge Communications: channel 333; Cablevision: 1300; Comcast (N.J.): 981; Comcast (Conn.): 333; Cox: 784; DirecTV:103); Service Electric Broadband Cable: 831; Time Warner Cable (New York state): 483; Time Warner Cable (New York City); and Verizon FiOS: 575.
YES officials said the network is making the 3D games available at no extra charge to its affiliates.
YES's 3D coverage of the July 10 game from Safeco Field will begin at 10 p.m. (ET), while the enhanced telecast the following day begins at 4 p.m.
Dave Niehaus, the Mariners play-by-play man and a member of the broadcasters' wing of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, will handle play-by-play duties for the 3D telecasts along with fellow Mariners voice Dave Sims. YES's Ken Singleton will provide color commentary.
YES and FSN Northwest will also produce traditional HD telecasts of both games.
