Rangers vs. Islanders at Madison Square Garden on March 24 Will be Screened
in 3D at the Theater at MSG for Area Hockey Fans
Telecast Will be America's First Live 3D Sports Event Delivered to the Home
NEW YORK, March 18, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MSG (Nasdaq:MSG), a leader in delivering state-of-the-art, cutting edge technology to viewers, announced today that it will telecast the March 24 Rangers-Islanders matchup from Madison Square Garden in 3D, the first network hockey telecast ever produced in 3D. MSG will also be the first network in America to offer home viewers a live 3D sports telecast. In 1998, MSG was the first regular provider of sports coverage in high-definition television, producing all Knicks and Rangers home games in that emerging format.
The Rangers will host a special viewing party of this historic telecast at the Theater at Madison Square Garden that will include appearances by popular Rangers alumni Mark Messier, Adam Graves, Ron Duguay, Nick Fotiu, Ron Greschner, Dan Blackburn and others, as well as fan contests and giveaways . Tickets to the 3D screening are $20 and available at newyorkrangers.com via Ticketmaster. MSG HD subscribers with 3D compatible televisions will be able to watch the telecast on a separate channel offered by Cablevision, and MSG is in discussions with other providers. For more information please visit msg.com/3D.
"MSG has been a leader in delivering emerging technology to our viewers, and a leader in high quality original programming, including a record 64 Emmy nominations this year," said Michael Bair, president, MSG Media. "We were the first regular providers of high-definition sports telecasts with Knicks and Rangers games more than a decade ago, and we're excited to continue this tradition of providing the most innovative and creative telecasts to our audience."
MSG is planning a renovation which will be a comprehensive top-to-bottom transformation of the arena that will enhance the experience for customers, athletes, entertainers, fans and marketing partners. The state-of-the-art facility will also include the most up-to-date technology throughout the arena for fans attending events.
Longtime Rangers voice Kenny Albert will call the play-by-play, former Ranger Dave Maloney will serve as analyst, and Al Trautwig will serve as television host for the evening.
The game will be shot using 3ality Digital's image-capturing technology, which integrates with existing broadcast equipment for pixel-perfect 3D imagery. 3ality Digital, which has more than a decade's worth of development work behind its systems, has been the technology of choice behind a number of recent 3D sports productions, including BSkyB's January Premiere League Soccer broadcast, the first live 3D broadcasts of NFL and college football games shown in theaters, and the 2010 Sony Open golf tournament. Gamecreek Video will provide a separate high-definition mobile video production unit for the game, working with 3ality Digital camera rigs and image processing systems. In the Theater at Madison Square Garden, RealD's 3D stereoscopic Cinema Processing System will enable the audience to view the game in 3D via eyewear, screen and filtering technology. A provider of advanced 3DTV-capable technology, Harris Corporation, an international communications and information technology company collaborating with MSG on the telecast, supplied NetVX ™ encoders and signal processing equipment that will be used to ensure synchronous transport of the 3DTV signals from Madison Square Garden to the network operations center.
About MSG Media
MSG Media is a leader in production and content development for multiple distribution platforms, including content originating from MSG's venues. MSG Media consists of the MSG Networks (MSG network, MSG Plus, MSG HD and MSG Plus HD) regional sports networks and the Fuse Networks (Fuse and Fuse HD), a national television network dedicated to music. MSG Media is also responsible for managing interactive initiatives across all business segments. MSG Media is part of Madison Square Garden, Inc., (Nasdaq:MSG) a fully-integrated sports, entertainment and media business. The company is comprised of three business segments: MSG Sports, MSG Entertainment and MSG Media, which are strategically aligned to work together to drive MSG's overall business, which is built on a foundation of iconic venues and compelling content that MSG creates, produces, presents and/or distributes through its programming networks and other media assets. MSG Sports consists of owning and operating sports franchises, including the New York Knicks (NBA), the New York Rangers (NHL), the New York Liberty (WNBA), and the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL). MSG Sports also features other sports properties, including the presentation of a wide variety of live sporting events including professional boxing, college basketball, track and field and tennis. MSG Entertainment is one of the country's leaders in live entertainment. MSG Entertainment creates, produces and/or presents a variety of live productions, including the Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring the Radio City Rockettes, throughout the country. MSG Entertainment also presents or hosts other live entertainment events such as concerts, family shows and special events in MSG's diverse collection of venues. These venues include Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the Theater at Madison Square Garden, the Beacon Theater, the Chicago Theater and the Wang Theater. More information is available at www.msg.com.
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