Soccer sends TV sales soaring in Bengal, Kerala

New Delhi, Jun 25: Soccer mania around the FIFA World Cup has sent television sales soaring, with TV makers' cash registers ringing the most in West Bengal, Kerala and North East, as fans stay awake late nights to catch live, the passes and headers from Rondaldo and Beckham.

TV makers like LG, Panasonic and Onida have reported an enthusiastic response from soccer crazy viewers in India, who want to see live, their favourite teams like Brazil, England, Argentina, Italy and Germany play.

Within the first 10 days of the worldwide football fever, usually dull June has turned out into a money-spinner for TV firms, which are not really surprised from the big sale numbers coming from the soccer frenzied state of West Bengal.

As the football festival has entered the knockout round, the TRPs are bound to reach new highs.

The TRPs for the FIFA matches are already up by 35 per cent and the marketing managers of television boxes are tracking these figures on a day-to-day basis.

''We have seen a tremendous increase in the sale of CTVs primarily in three locations - West Bengal, North East and Kerala, with sales in June more than doubling over May,'' LG India Consumer Electronics Business Group Head Amitabh Tiwari told sources.

LG, known for its aggressive pricing and marketing strategies, has already sold 1,79,000 CTVs till June 20. ''We expect to take that number to 3,25,000 units by the month-end, which is a 62.5 per cent increase from the number we sold in June last year,'' Mr Tiwari added.

On the staggering effect the World Cup has had on sales, Mr Tiwari said, generally June, July and August are bad months in terms of numbers. But with the FIFA matches, scorching June is giving the cool comfort of October and November a run for money.

LG had sold 5,00,000 units during Diwali season in October last year, the highest figure achieved by the Korean electronic giant.

''However, this June we definitely hope to second that figure with 3,26,000 units of CTVs'', Mr Tiwari said.

The demand for flat LG CTVs in June 2006 has grown by 71 per cent over the same month last year, and 47 per cent over the previous month of May this year. The average annual growth in the flat CTv segment is 24-25 per cent.

In West Bengal, May saw sales of 38,000 LG CTVs, while in June, 2006, 63,000 CTVs were shipped reporting an almost 50 per cent jump.

In June 2005 only 20,000 CTVs were dispatched. The year-on-year jump is about 200 per cent.

In North East, an average of 7,500 LG CTVs are sold every month. However, this June is likely to see that number doubling to 13,500 In Kerala, against a monthly average of 14,000 units, the June figures were 21,000 units. ''Besides, these states that have reported phenomenal growth in sales, pan-India, we have seen a 10-15 per cent growth in the sale of CTVs,'' Mr Tiwari said.

The World Cup fever which has caught the fancy of people across all sections of society ranging from the Upper, Middle and Lower class has also spurted the growth in the Flat TV segment, in which the 29 inch flat TV had the most takers, with a 50 per cent increase in June as against May, followed by the 15 inch set, and 21 inch boxes.

Panasonic India Ltd, the Indian arm of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd, also reported a handsome growth in sales from pockets like Kolkata, Kerala and the metro cities, while reporting a consistent 10-15 per cent pan India growth.

''The Eastern region accounts for 10 per cent of the total sales all over India, but in June, the figure went up to 15 per cent, due to the World Cup,'' Panasonic India Head of Marketing Sashi Bhushan said.

Football has gained popularity in the North-East ever since the national team captain, Bhaichung Bhutia from Sikkim, has stormed the international footbal arena and become the flavour of the season.

Colour Television major Onida, has also reported an increase in sale of CTVs in Goa, besides maintainig the trend of their peers in West Bengal, Kerala and Assam.

''Major growth has been between West Bengal, Kerala, followed by Assam and then Goa, which have seen an over 200 per cent increase in sales,'' Onida General Manager Satish N S said.

The company had launched the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) televison in April to leverage the FIFA World Cup.

''We have sold 21 inch flat CTVs the most, followed by the 15 inch CTVs, 29 inch CTVs and lastly the LCDs,'' Mr Satish said.

The FIFA World Cup culminates with the final on July 9 in Berlin, and TV makers are yet to see their best in sales.

UNI