TV makers ride on FIFA World Cup to boost sales, eye higher growth
companies in India, growing at a stable 6% a year, are witnessing a sudden spike in sales thanks to the ongoing football World Cup. Brands like Sony, Samsung and Xiaomi are all expecting a higher growth rate, with Sony India Private Ltd hoping to see its sales double in markets like West Bengal, Kerala and the North-East.
According to Neeraj Bahl, business head, Panasonic India, the local arm of the Japanese TV maker, the company has already recorded a 50% growth in sales in the last one month compared with the same period the previous year. “Kolkata, Durgapur, and Guwahati are the places where the impact (of FIFA) is very high,” Bahl said.
Sachin Rai, business head (Bravia) at Sony India, said that the sales of its largescreen TVs could double in states such as West Bengal, Kerala, and the North East region. “Sales will also grow substantially in the metro cities including Mumbai and Delhi due to the popularity of the Indian Football League,” he added.
The company has also launched a separate campaign to push its new Bravia OLED Television range and plans to spend nearly ₹8 crore in promotions during the FIFA World Cup.
Panasonic said it will spend ₹5 crore for promotions over 45 days during the football World Cup. Samsung has launched its new range of QLED TV with screen sizes of 55 inches and 65 inches, backed by a special football World Cup focused campaign. Besides, most TV companies are offering freebies to attract customers. Sudeep Sahu, product manager, MiTV, Xiaomi India, said in an e-mailed response that the company was giving out a free three-month subscription of SonyLIV to all MiTV users. SonyLIV is the video-streaming site of Sony Pictures Networks which is live streaming the FIFA matches. Xiaomi is also spending on product promotions instead of launching new models.
TV manufacturers say they are expecting higher sales as they believe that a lot of Indians are still likely to watch the FIFA matches on television even though some may watch football online — on mobile phones and tablets on-the-go. “TV comes with the advantage of instant live cast,” said television viewer and Bengalurubased communications professional Avnish Nandawani. “Online streaming is delayed by a couple of minutes. Also, poor internet connectivity can often ruin the experience,” he said.
The match timings may be another reason why TV may be a natural choice for football fans this season. With the FIFA World Cup being held in Russia, Indians will be able to watch the matches at prime time at night — in the comfort of their home, and not necessarily on-the-go.
NEWDELHI:Television