Walt Disney’s TV sports network, ESPN, said it will shut its 3D cable channel in the United States, ending a three-year experiment after sports fans failed to embrace the technology in their homes.
ESPN launched the 3D cable channel in 2010 and will close the channel by the end of the year, said ESPN spokeswoman Katina Arnold. It presented 3D broadcasts of college football games and the Masters golf tournament, among other offerings.
Despite declining costs for 3D televisions and widespread use of 3D in movies, consumers have not rushed to bring the technology into their homes.
ESPN 3D was commanding monthly fees on average of US$2.79 per subscriber from cable and satellite operators this year, among the highest for a cable channel, according to research firm SNL Kagan. Pay TV providers also pay US$5.54 on average for the flagship ESPN network.
The network was carried by major operators such as DirecTV, Time Warner Cable and Comcast in various programming packages.
“They were just too early,” SNL Kagan analyst Derek Baine said. “This technology is not ready for prime time.”