In one of the more bizarre media announcements of recent times, News International's LCD (Lowest Common Denominator) British Tabloid The Sun is to publish a 3D edition on June 5 complete with 3D glasses, 3D editorial images, 3D adverts and a 3D Soccer World Cup schedule Wall Chart. It's yet another newspaper first for the Murdoch empire (along with recalibrating public morals by widely distributing images of bare-breasted women), though we suspect the motivation is more related to Murdoch's Sky Sports broadcasting the World Cup in 3D than by any forlorn hope of innovating a reversal of the Sun's circulation which has been in decline for 15 years.
The world's first 3D newspaper will be published just a few days prior to action beginning in South Africa at the soccer World Cup and can be expected to contribute to massive awareness of the event being broadcast in 3D by Murdoch's Sky Sports. 3D Mania can be expected to peak this northern summer as the world's population is given its first real incentive to purchase a 3D TV and a massive audience is attracted into venues around the world to witness the Cup in 3D, and be warned – nothing will sell 3D TV like sport – it adds a whole new dimension to sport which makes it far more compelling than with other 3D content.
So 3D TV is hot, but 3D newspapers … maybe not.
