World Cup to net big profits for TV makers, analysts predict

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Fans anxious to watch this summer’s World Cup in Germany should boost TV sales, but not prices, analysts predict. The increase should be felt strongest in sales of flat-panel, high definition and big screen TVs. Consumers will probably not have to pay more since producers are fighting to establish themselves in the new TV technology market. “TV panel prices should decline only slightly in first half of 2006 thanks to special demand from the 2006 World Cup tournament in Germany in June,” said analyst Jeff Kim of Hyundai Securities in Korea. Jasmine Wei, a research analyst at MasterLink Securities in Taiwan, added: “The strongest demand lies in TV panels due to aggressive retail price cuts and the expected demand from the Winter Olympics and World Cup soccer.” The last World Cup had a marked effect on sales, especially in the host nations of South Korea and Japan. According to German-based market research firm GfK Group, sales in Europe increased by 5 percent, with an increase of 16 percent in Asia.