Discovery, Imax and Sony confirmed on Tuesday that they are forming a joint venture for a 3-D television channel.

The announcement was timed to coincide with this week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where 3-D television is expected to be a hot topic.

Discovery Communications, which operates the Discovery Channel, TLC and other cable channels, will distribute the channel, which has a 2011 start date. It is expected to showcase a mix of 3-D content, including entertainment and sports. It will also show some of the natural history programming for which Discovery is well known.

The three companies will own equal stakes in the channel, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.

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