BBC retains 3D vision for Wimbledon coverage

UK public-service broadcaster the BBC has announced it will show the men's and ladies semi-finals, and finals, of the ongoing Wimbledon tennis championships live in 3D.

The free-to-air 3D coverage will be available to viewers with access to a 3D television set and to the BBC's HD Red Button channel on the Freeview HD, Virgin Media, Freesat and Youview platforms.

The coverage is part of the BBC’s two-year trial of producing and distributing 3D content.

The announcement comes after Fifa, football’s global governing body, last month said it is considering dropping 3D broadcasts of the 2014 World Cup. Fifa cited US sports broadcaster ESPN’s recent decision to close its 3D television channel by the end of the year as a key factor in its reasoning.

Kim Shillinglaw, head of BBC 3D, said: “Major UK sporting events are a big part of our trials with 3D content and this allows us to build on our work from previous Wimbledons and the London 2012 Olympics.”

The 3D broadcasts will commence today with the ladies’ semi-finals and run through to Sunday’s men’s final.