Verizon believes that new technology, especially entertainment opportunities as great as 3D TV promises to be, must be accommodated and delivered rationally and superbly, just as we have done with our HD TV offering. As the industry transitions to stereoscopic 3D, we are developing a broad 3D offering focused on sustainable, ongoing 3D entertainment options that can be offered to all FiOS TV customers who buy one of the new stereoscopic 3D television sets.
As we have done with HD, our commitment will be to bring the broadest range of 3D programming to the marketplace, supported by a best-in-class user experience. Today, we fulfill that promise with up to 140 HD channels and thousands of HD VOD titles. Ultimately, we expect to provide the same industry leadership with 3D.
The market for 3D TV is very early in its development. We are monitoring the early sales of 3D TVs and expect to announce a 3D offering well in advance of the holiday TV-shopping season, when 3D television sales will expand.
3D content is just now becoming available from a handful of providers like ESPN. As it becomes available, TV service providers like Verizon will negotiate deals to telecast that content. We are in active discussions with a number of companies in the emerging 3D value chain.
