Discovery, Sony and IMAX launching first 24-hour 3D Network

Talk about quite the trio: Discovery Communications, Sony and IMAX are partnering to bring us the world's first 24-hour 3D network.

Just in time for Discovery's 25th birthday, the three companies will be equal partners, first launching the network in the United States.

Discovery will be responsible for network services, including affiliate sales and technical support functions. Sony will take on advertising and sponsorship sales support, along with securing TV rights to current and future film, music and game-related 3D content. Finally, IMAX also will work on licensing television rights to future 3D films, and then take on promotion through its movie theaters across the U.S.

Most of the content at first will be Discovery's, specifically natural history, space, exploration, engineering, science and technology. There will also be Sony and IMAX-owned content aired as well.

To get this going, however, 3D technologies need to become mainstream, common living room gadgets. There's no word on what kind of equipment the network will require of viewers, nor how much it will cost yet.

While ESPN 3D won't be showing consistent 24-hour content until after the first year, we won't even be seeing this channel until 2011.