Australian pay-television operator Foxtel has become the latest broadcaster to end its 3D offering due to a lack of viewing interest in the format.
On August 27, Foxtel will close its dedicated channel citing “a worldwide lack of 3D content production” as the defining factor in making its 3D offering “no longer viable”.
Foxtel will continue to air occasional 3D programming on its pay-per-view service but this will be focused upon movies with sport unlikely to feature, according to The Australian newspaper.
Foxtel’s decision comes just weeks after UK public-service broadcaster the BBC elected to indefinitely suspend its 3D programming, citing a “lack of public appetite” for the service after showing the semi-finals and finals of the Wimbledon tennis championships on its free-to-air 3D platform.
Last month, Fifa announced it was considering dropping 3D broadcasts of the 2014 World Cup, with world football’s governing body pointing towards the decision of US sports broadcaster ESPN to shelve its 3D television channel by the end of the year.