World Cup fever boosts demand for HD receivers

By Joey Aguilar/Staff Reporter

The FIFA World Cup 2014 craze has significantly pushed up the sale of high definition digital satellite receivers in Doha, retailers said.

They are offering one-year free subscription of numerous sports channels, including that for the ‘football carnival’ which kicks off in Brazil tomorrow featuring the host country against Croatia.

A sales representative told Gulf Times that his store sells on average three satellite receivers daily now which he described as unusual compared with the past months.

He believes that many of the customers who bought satellite receivers were football fanatics - both Qataris and expatriates.

There is also an increase in the sales of 65- and 84-inch TVs on account of the World Cup. Those who bought widescreen TV sets were Qataris who “probably just want a better viewing experience” since they did not buy any digital receiver.

A sales supervisor at a store in West Bay said his outlet recorded a slight increase in TV sales in the past two weeks. He said their promo and discounts for TV sets helped raise their sales.

He believes that the World Cup craze, as well as international sports competitions such as the NBA, cricket and tennis, has also pushed their sales.

He also observed that many customers nowadays prefer wider screens, irrespective of the brand.

Meanwhile, many restaurants, eateries and coffee shops in Doha have installed widescreen TVs and digital receivers to attract more customers during the World Cup.