Imax, Discovery and Sony plan to launch a 3D general entertainment TV channel that will broadcast 24/7 in the U.S. in 2011, according to the new partners. And ESPN has announced that it will establish a 3D channel by June 2010 to accommodate the World Cup. It also plans to cover a minimum of 85 live events in its first year.

In a joint press conference call from Sony Corporation’s New York headquarters, Discovery Communications founder and chairman John Hendricks said the as-yet-unnamed 3D venture will make ‘television history.’

‘We are all committed to this proposition that consumers will migrate [to] and seek out ‘closer to reality’ television experiences,’ said Hendricks.

When asked if consumers will gravitate en masse towards a technology that requires both new TV hardware and 3D glasses, he compared the risk level to when Discovery HD Theater was launched in 2002.

‘There are about five million homes out there that we think of as early adopters,’ he explained. ‘They’ll go after 3D very quickly, we think, in the next 24 to 36 months, just the way they did with HD.

‘Thereafter, there are probably another 20 million affluent homes that really relish having the home-theater experience, and we think that marketplace will come up pretty quickly,’ Hendricks continued. After that, the venture will be ‘rolling out into the masses.’

The 3D content will include genres that are considered ‘most appealing’ to the format – space, exploration, adventure, engineering, science and technology, motion pictures, music and children’s programming.

In the deal, Discovery will provide network services, affiliate sales, technical support functions, 3D television rights to its content and cross-promotion via its 13 U.S. TV stations.

Sony will provide TV rights to select current and future 3D feature films, music-related 3D content and the almighty game-related 3D content, which would ideally enhance users’ feelings of being part of the game.

Imax Corp. will license TV rights to future 3D films, provide promo through its movie theaters (across the U.S.) as well as a suite of proprietary and patented image enhancement and 3D technologies.

‘Sony and Imax are great companies that are synonymous with 3D,’ said Discovery Communications president and CEO David Zaslav. ‘They’ve established libraries of content and a pipeline of upcoming television and theatrical releases that will bring great programming to this 3D channel. Sony and Imax also have unmatched display and production technologies, and most importantly, are committed, like Discovery Communications, to driving 3D as a new platform.’

‘[Imax] and Sony also have proprietary technology that can convert 2D into 3D, and you’ll see some of that shown on the channel. And with the new cameras coming along there will be a lot of things shot in 3D,’ added Imax CEO Richard Gelfond.

Zaslav said the channel will take up six megahertz of bandwidth, close to the same amount used by HD channels today.

As for governance, the JV will be handled by a board of directors comprised of members from each of the three companies, with day-to-day operations run by a separate staff and management team that will report to the board.

With the new 3D TVs due to roll out this spring, summer and fall, ‘This is really the first year of consumer-ready 3D television for the masses,’ said Rob Wiesenthal, Sony USA EVP and CFO.