Television sales have increased sharply in the Kathmandu Valley in the past few weeks as Euro Cup 2016 fever grips football enthusiasts. The much awaited month-long European tournament starts on Saturday.

Major TV brands like Sony, Hisense, LG and others have reported a 40 percent rise in sales compared to previous years. The TV business was badly affected by last year’s earthquake after recording boom sales during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Traders are optimistic that the Euro Cup will help them to recover lost ground.

Navin Distributors, authorised dealer for Hisense, one of the global sponsors of UEFA EURO 2016, said there had been a 35 percent growth in demand.

“The growth can be attributed to the partnership between the Hisense group and UEFA and a growing preference for products from Hisense,” said Ashish Tibrewala, director of Navin Distributors. “We expect sales to swell 40 percent during the Euro Cup frenzy.”

Hisense offers regular, smart, LED and curved TVs of up to 58 inches in size with prices ranging from Rs20,000 to Rs750,000.

Likewise, CG Electronics, authorised distributor for LG TV, has launched promotional schemes like special prizes and discounts of up to Rs116,000 to boost sales. “We normally experience a 40 percent growth in sales during major football tournaments compared to normal times,” said Niraj Baniya, brand manager at CG Electronics. He expects growth to reach around 40 percent this football season. “During the last World Cup, our sales surpassed expectations. The Euro impact is expected to be the same.”

The promotional scheme will last for one month. CG Electronics is currently offering discounts on Smart, Ultra HD and LED TVs of sizes ranging from 32 to 65 inches.

Similarly, Nepa Hima Trade Link, the authorised distributor of Sony television, has reported a rise in customer queries following the launch of promotional schemes for this year’s Euro Cup.

The company has announced cash-back scheme of up to 15 percent of the listed price of its LED, smart and Android televisions of sizes ranging from 32 inches to 65 inches. Prices of Sony televisions range from Rs48,500 to Rs795,000.  

“Sales soar around 50 percent during football tournaments,” said Subash Shrestha, marketing manager of the company, “As far as TV sales are concerned, football tournaments and festivals are the major drivers of business growth.”