London 2012 to be first Olympic Games screened live in 3D

London 2012 will be the first Olympic Games to be broadcast live in 3D, Panasonic has announced.

The tech giant, which is the official audio and visual equipment partner of the sporting competition, revealed the news alongside the International Olympic Committee and Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS).

Major events including the opening and closing ceremonies, diving, swimming and athletics are set to be screened in 3D as a result of the agreement. Footage will be produced and then distributed to rights holders around the world.

OBS has been tasked with filming more than 200 hours of 3D content at the Games, utilising production technology such as Panasonic's AG-3DP1, a full HD 3D camera recorder.

Takumi Kajisha, managing executive officer of Panasonic, said the Olympics has developed a reputation for pioneering developments in broadcasting.

"There is no doubt that the Olympic Games will provide some of the best content for the 3D market in the future and that 3D TV will drastically change the way we experience this great sporting event," he added.

Panasonic's announcement comes just days after the BBC revealed its London 2012 coverage will utilise super hi-vision, offering 16 times better picture quality than HD.