Like Cowboys Performance, 3D Experiment Goes South.

3D, not HD, is the future of sports entertainment.  However, if not executed appropriately, the cutting edge viewing experience can actually backfire on the teams and leagues anxious to show off the technology.

Yesterday, at the start of the second half of the Cowboys-Chargers game at Cowboys Stadium, fans were directed to put on 3-D glasses and direct their attention to the World’s largest LED screen (the screen stretches across 60 yards of the field).   Unfortunately, that is where the Cowboy’s management team fumbled.  You don’t broadcast your product in 3-D when right below it, the real thing is going on in 3D as well.  I understand the greatness of the LED board, but it compromises the real live product.  This means that the Cowboys were literally asking fans to ignore the actual live football game taking place before their very eyes, so that they could watch it on a giant television instead.

Since many fans chose not to put on the required glasses, the video replay board became a blurry red and blue mess to their eyes. According to reports, the loudest cheer of the day came when they finally shut it off halfway through the third quarter.

Maybe the Cowboys should take a marketing page from David Stern and the NBA.  For one, everyone who has seen the NBA in 3-D says that the viewing experience is second to none.  Because of the technology and costs required to broadcast and display the NBA in 3D, there have only been a few opportunities to see it so far.  However, it seems that the NBA’s execution plan is a bit more on point.

“You have to produce it differently,” says Steve Hellmuth, an executive vice president at NBA Entertainment. “You want to have people live inside the shots.”

Last year, the NBA broadcasted “All-Star Saturday night”  in 3-D including three-point shooting and dunk contests.  They showcased the 3-D experience in about 80 movie theaters in suburban and rural areas, with tickets costing $18 to $22.

The technology to broadcast and display the NBA in 3-D, comes from Burbank, Calif.-based Pace. It has developed its system in conjunction with director James Cameron — whose upcoming movie Avatar was filmed in 3-D.

The league has had three previous 3-D experiments — for two games as well as for an All-Star game — with one shown in a single theater, another at a single arena and the other at a venue for invited guests.