Verizon to Carry YES 3D Baseball

Verizon announced that it will carry YES Network's 3D telecasts of two New York Yankees games in July, making it the first terrestrial multichannel operator to carry the 3D games that are being sponsored by satellite operator DirecTV and set-maker Panasonic.

Verizon will provide YES' 3D telecasts of the New York Yankees-Seattle Mariners games on July 10 and 11 to FiOS TV customers who have 3D TV sets and live in the New York metropolitan area. In announcing its deal with DirecTV and Panasonic last week to produce the games in 3D, YES COO Ray Hopkins had indicated that YES would market the 3D games to other operators, so it would not be surprising for more carriage deals to be announced after the NCTA show this week.

FiOS TV customers who live in New York City, Long Island, parts of New Jersey, and Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties and have a high-definition set-top box, a 3D television set and 3D glasses will be able to watch the YES 3D telecasts. Verizon says it will provide interested subscribers with a free manual-adjustment procedure so the set-top box can sync the 3D signal with the 3D TV, which is required to watch YES' 3D telecast.

"This 3D offering from the YES Network represents Verizon's continued commitment to bring FiOS TV customers a high-quality TV experience that includes the best programming available," said Terry Denson, VP of content strategy and acquisition for Verizon, in a statement. "We are providing FiOS TV customers with the first 3D baseball telecast, over the country's only all-fiber network - proving once again that Verizon delivers the top-rated TV service with the best HD and the broadest viewing choices."

Verizon says it is currently developing a formal 3D offering that will be available in time for the winter holiday shopping season, when 3D television sales are expected to spike.

By Glen Dickson, Avail-TVN