MUMBAI: UFO Moviez, the official broadcaster for the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament in cinema theatres, has tied up with California-based company Threeality to bring the last four matches in 3D effect in select theatres.
"This would be the first time in the country that any sport event will be screened with 3D effect. The four matches would be the two semi-finals, finals and the match for the third position,” said IPL commissioner Lalit Modi.
UFO Moviez CEO Sanjay Gaikwad added, "We will soon start a pilot in some select theatres and then move on to show the last four matches in a number of theatres that have the 3D facility."
Approximately 50 screens across the country will screen two semi-finals, third play and the fourth play matches in 3D. UFO Moviez has been showing IPL matches in 700 screens across the country, of which 200 are multiplexes. However, so far the response has been comsi-comsa.
"We are starting with four matches and if this experiment is successful, all 94 matches from the next season would be shown in 3D," Modi said.
Incidentally, speaking to Businessofcinema.com yesterday, Scrabble Entertainment CEO Ranjit Thakur said that his company was also in talks with multiplexes to showcase the semi-finals and final in 3D. "We will be taking a decision latest by Tuesday," Thakur had said.
In order to get a feel of the audience response to the matches being screened, Modi traveled across various multiplexes like PVR at Nirmal Lifestyle Mall, Raghuleela Mall at Vashi, BIG Cinemas at R-Mall and Cinemax Eternity Mall in Thane. Modi visited the various multiplexes with actresses like Sushmita Sen and Celina Jaitely.
