With the FIFA World Cup in Brazil only weeks away, fans are prepping to catch their most anticipated matches live on TV!
A lot of fans are planning to take leave from work as the matches are often scheduled in the wee hours of the day. Group match times are at midnight, 3am and 6am while the later stages kick off at 4am.
Electrical stores are also reporting a rapid rise in business, with football fanatic looking to upgrade their flat screen TVs to have a better enjoyment of the World Cup.
Hardcore Italy fan Dinesh Ravi who is a sales person, said he had worked out his June roster to accommodate the month-long event which kicks off at 4am on June 13.
“I coordinated my off days from work just to watch my beloved Azzurri (Italy national football team),” he said.
Harvey Norman sales executive, Mohammad Aszal, 25, said electronics companies were cashing in on the craze, causing television prices to decrease and sales to increase.
“Some of the companies have slashed the prices of their large screen TVs to coincide with the World Cup. Customers are now more interested in the latest 55- to 60-inch LED TVs equipped with Smart and 3D capabilities.”
He said Sony is offering mega discounts on the new 4K TVs, which has caught the attention of buyers now more than ever.
“Samsung’s new curved televisions launched last month are also performing quite well,” he said.
Original Penang Kayu Nasi Kandar managing director Burhan Mohamed said the chain of restaurants has invested in several new LED TVs for the upcoming World Cup.
“This is the best time to upgrade our televisions. During football events our restaurants are completely packed,” he said, adding that they have also invested in the Astro Football Pack as they will have the most comprehensive coverage of the World Cup.
An Astro spokesperson said major global sporting events help drive up viewership as well as subscriptions.
“We believe FIFA’s focus for the 2014 World Cup will be on the 4K broadcast which is approximately four times the resolution of full 1080p HD screens.
“The response for the Football Pass has been encouraging as the number of our Astro On The Go app downloads has increased to almost a million,” she said.
