[by Julian Clover, broadband tv news]

Sky 3D is to screen ESPN’s coverage of the FA Cup Final between Manchester City and Stoke City this Saturday, May 14.

It will be the first time that the sports channel’s UK operation has produced its own 3D event, though coverage of ESPN’s Winter X Games 15 was shown on Sky 3D in February. ESPN is planning a 12 hour broadcast around the FA Cup that harks back to the kind of attention the football trophy received in the 1960s and 1970s, when the match would be shown simultaneously on both the BBC and ITV, and was the only domestic match to be shown live all year.

ESPN now shares the rights with ITV, alternating coverage of earlier matches, and sharing the rights to Saturday’s final.

Sky 3D will join ESPN at 12.30 and stay with the match until after the final whistle and presentation.

The commercial free coverage will be available to domestic Sky World HD subscribers and the 1,500 pubs with Sky 3D screens.

See the original post here: http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2011/04/26/52184/