It wasn’t that long ago that 3-D broadcasting was the dominant discussion point throughout much of the satellite sector. It was difficult to attend any satellite-related gathering, visit a Web site or pick up any publication (including this one) and not get involved in a discussion of 3-D broadcasting and its revenue potential.

Today, the fervor around 3-D has not died out, though it may have slowed a little. The leaders of the 3-D push, such as ESPN, continue their steady buildup, and the global sports giant now airs 3-D content 24 hours a day on its dedicated channel. Other broadcasters continue to develop 3-D offerings and libraries as well, while predicting that consumer purchases of 3-D TVs are reaching a point that will see the market take off at any moment.

According to market studies, that tipping point may not come anytime soon as consumers are showing more patience in jumping on the 3-D bandwagon. Research firm DisplaySearch released a report early this year saying that shipments of 3-D TVs had made “steady, although slightly disappointing progress” in 2010.

While 3-D settles into a steady pace of development and growth, Internet-enabled TV broadcasting is filling the void as the next broadcasting push. Also known as over-the-top (OTT) TV, the service provides an alternative to traditional TV watching, offering content to consumers via handheld devices and computer screens. A study released in March by PricewaterhouseCoopers found that viewers already are watching 12.4 hours of TV shows/videos and movies online and just 8.9 hours of content from network TV and cable.

At IBC 2010, a BBC executive told us that he was more excited about the potential of OTT delivery than 3-D, as Internet delivery will give broadcasters more control over how to serve their audience and more device options for that audience to watch the content whenever they wished. While making programming available on the Internet is not exactly new, making them available in the living room via the new generation of Internet-enabled TVs makes the option much more exciting than when it was confined to the computer monitor for all but the most tech-savvy of customers.

Due to satellite’s dominance in many pay-TV arenas around the world, whenever a new distribution technology comes to light, the question is whether it offers an opportunity or a threat to the industry. OTT delivery could offer new opportunities for satellite players to enrich their offers. However, for broadcasters, the continuing fragmentation of the video world puts them under more pressure in terms of revenues.

If satellite TV players are savvy, then they can use OTT delivery to cement their position. Operators like BSkyB and EchoStar, with its recent acquisition of Hughes, are multi-layered operators looking at different ways to reach the customer even if satellite remains the core of their delivery options. EchoStar’s acquisition of Hughes could lead to a new approach to providing services to satellite TV customers. It opens up the opportunity for services such as OTT delivery as well as offering customers packages combining TV and broadband, particularly to the segments of the U.S. market unable to get a terrestrial broadband service.

With the excitement building for OTT delivery, it will be interesting to see how it meshes with traditional satellite broadcasting.