One of the first major tests for 3D on televisions will be the World Cup, which ESPN will broadcast on a new 3D sports channel. Procter & Gamble , Sony Corp. and Disney’s Pixar have all ponied up for 3D ad spots for the channel, but it has cost somewhere between $500,000 and $1 million for a 30-second TV ad.
Because it is such an emerging medium ESPN didn’t sell ad time specifically for the 3D channel, offering it as part of other World Cup packages. They will not, however, broadcast 2D ads on the 3D channel because they don’t want to disrupt the viewing experience.
The new ESPN 3D won’t run 24-hours a day, but is planning on airing 100 events over the next 18 months like the X-Games and the Home Run Derby. Still, many marketers aren’t sold on 3D for advertising yet.
“There will be a high hurdle to get 3D commercials through in a period of time when advertisers are increasingly scrutinizing [the production side of the ad business,]” says Brad DeHart, practice leader of marketing services at ICG Commerce.
Nevertheless, ESPN is forward looking about the matter. “I think that advertisers are always looking for ways to stand out and to build their brands and if they can figure out that these 3D ads enhance a brand or sell a product they will do it,” says Ed Erhardt, ESPN’s president of customer marketing and sales.
Erhardt points out that several advertisers were also reluctant to create HD ads several years ago, and now 65 percent of ads on ESPN are filmed in HD.
Source: Wall Street Journal
