The Associated Press reports FIFA considers "scrapping" 3DTV broadcasts of the 2014 World Cup after US network ESPN drops the format in favour of regular HD (and 4K, perhaps) broadcasts.
Closer to home, the BBC also closes a 2-year 3D programming test run according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Such news spells bad news for the still struggling 3DTV format-- after all, such a major sports event make for a major TV sales driver!
"We know that the technology has had a few setbacks in recent days, if you refer to some of the statements by [ESPN]," FIFA director of TV Niclas Ericson says at a Confederations Cup briefing. "It's clear when a big sports broadcaster like ESPN makes an announcement like that it creates a lot of extra tension [for 3DTV]."
During the 2010 South Africa World Cup 25 out of 64 matches were screened in 3D due to what FIFA described as "rapidly growing consumer interest" at the time.