• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, May 5, 2010

Two regional sports networks will stream the first Major League Baseball 3D-casts into the home -- just beating ESPN and Fox. The July 10 and 11 games between the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners will be available in 3D to some DirecTV customers. 

The telecast will be accessible to YES Network and FSN Northwest subscribers who have a new 3D-capable set; the special glasses, live in the home regions served by the two networks; and receive DirecTV HD. The special 3D feed will use the same announcers, although the YES and FSN Northwest versions will include unique branding for each network.

There will be no commercial breaks, but Panasonic and DirecTV will be the sponsors. Yet viewership is expected to be infinitesimal, with only .009% of U.S. homes expected to have a 3D set by the end of the year.

Executives from YES and DirecTV call the telecast more of a trial. DirecTV's Eric Shanks said producing back-to-back games is a first step to what eventually could be all baseball games in 3D. Six to eight cameras will be dedicated to the telecast.

"It's essential for us to be able to find a way to do this for the ongoing, day-to-day 3D production," Shanks said on a conference call. "We're approaching this as an experiment and a great learning experience," said YES COO Ray Hopkins.

The coming ESPN 3D network will carry MLB's Home Run Derby on July 12. Fox will offer the All-Star game the next night in the emerging format.

The YES home market includes New York and Connecticut and parts of two other states, while FSN Northwest covers Washington state, Oregon and Alaska and parts of two other states. Both will also offer their traditional SD and HD feeds of the two games separately.

DirecTV's Shanks said "there is the potential" for offering the games throughout the satellite operator's national reach, but a decision hasn't been made and would require some negotiations with MLB.

MSG Network offered the first 3D-cast in the home with a hockey game this spring. The Masters golf tournament was carried thereafter in the format by some distributors. ESPN 3D debuts with the World Cup on June 11.

To make 3D networks available for DirecTV HD homes, the operator is upgrading their software free starting in June. DirecTV will offer four 3D channels: ESPN 3D; its own N3D; a movie channel; and VOD stream.