Sony, Discovery Communications and IMAX are expected to raise the curtain on their joint venture 3D channel this week, sources tell The Post.
The partners, these sources add, have hired cable executive Tom Cosgrove, now Discovery Channel’s chief operating officer and executive VP, as their new chief.
The as-yet unnamed 24-hour 3D service is expected to launch in January, carrying a mix of movies, documentaries and children’s programming.
The move by the three companies comes as the 3D field is taking off and other media companies — including DirecTV and Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN — are readying 3D channels. ESPN is premiering a new channel, ESPN3D, on Friday, in time for soccer’s World Cup. Sony is a sponsor.
DirecTV is also fielding three separate services at the end of the month: a channel called N3D, a pay-per-view offering and a video-on-demand service.
The Consumer Electronics Association predicts that 2.2 million 3D TVs will be sold this year — a development seen as the first big leap in TV technology since the arrival of HD networks back in 2002.
Movies such as James Cameron’s 3D epic, “Avatar,” have whetted the public’s interest in the format and programmers are hoping they breathe new life into pay-TV and TV-set sales.
Discovery is expected to help cross-promote the channel on its other networks and could be a good partner for Sony and IMAX given its commitment to spending on high-quality programming such as its nature series ‘Life.’