Soccer fever set to kick off national boom in TV sales

China's television sales are expected to increase 10 to 20 percent during the 2018 FIFA World Cup period from June 14 to July 15, with large-screen and high-definition TVs favored by consumers, an industry insider said.

With 32 teams competing, there will be 64 live matches shown on TV during the event. The June 18 shopping carnival and the World Cup will kick off a TV sales boom, according to consultancy China Market Monitor Co Ltd.

"TV sales will soar 10 to 20 percent from June to July compared with same period last year. Soccer fans prefer to watch matches on TVs that can guarantee better and clearer images, rather than on smartphones," said Liang Zhenpeng, a consumer electronics analyst.

"Sales of large-screen TVs, which are 55 inches and above, and OLED－organic light-emitting diode－TVs will witness rapid growth during this period," Liang added.

Chinese home appliance makers, such as TCL Corp and Hisense Group, have launched new TV models and different promotion schemes with an eye on the World Cup.

Brazilian soccer player Neymar has been appointed TCL's global brand ambassador. The partnership will help TCL embrace a wide audience of young sports fans worldwide and raise its global brand visibility.

The company has also launched its latest flagship QLED－quantum dot light emitting diode－TV and UHD－ultra high definition－TV for the event.

"We'll continue to consolidate and expand our TV business while exploring new opportunities through investments, mergers and acquisitions, and restructuring," said Kevin Wang, senior vice-president of TCL Corp and CEO of TCL Multimedia.

China's television industry is expected to rebound this year after witnessing a downturn in 2017, with sales ascending to 48.98 million units, up 3.1 percent year-on-year, owing to the consumption upgrade and stimulation from sports events, said Beijing-based consultancy All View Cloud.

Global TV shipments reached 50.6 million units in the first quarter, up 7.9 percent year-on-year, among which shipments of LCD－liquid crystal display－TVs rose 7.5 percent to 50.1 million units, while shipments of OLED TVs shot up 115.8 percent to 470,000 units, according to IHS Markit.

Watched by passionate fans across the globe, the World Cup draws billions of viewers every four years. Another Chinese consumer electronics giant Hisense has secured sponsorship deals for the event, becoming the first-ever Chinese consumer electronics brand to sponsor the tournament.

For Hisense, sponsoring the prestigious event serves not only as a massive marketing opportunity for the brand, but also as a crucial, strategic initiative for the entire enterprise, said Liu Hongxin, president of Hisense.

The company has launched a World Cup special edition U7 ULED TV and World Cup limited edition U9 ULED TV, which will satisfy football fans' demand for high image quality and entertainment services.

"Sponsoring such top sports events will increase the brands' awareness and influence, as well as boost sales," said Zhang Yanbin, assistant director of All View Cloud, a Beijing consultancy which specializes in home appliances.