Business Update on the World Cup, from John Birchall
It’s just minutes to go before the kick off. South Africa and Mexico have lined up; the referee is looking for signals to blow the whistle that will start the 2010 World Cup. Gathered around TV sets in homes across the nation millions want to see the home side begin with a victory. Then the lights flutter and the power goes off – quite a common feature of life in many of the soccer mad townships.
But don’t worry one of those sitting in the room has a mobile that has chip that can receive free-to-air analogue broadcasts from South Africa Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).
Since 2007 the company marketing these chips in emerging markets has exported 80 million. Across Africa it is sport that has driven the successful introduction of satellite TV and now mobile phone TV. By using existing infrastructure the makers do not have to pay high set up costs. In Latin America, another soccer mad area of the world the sales of mobiles that can receive TV signals has started to grow – one wonders what the numbers will be by the time both the Olympics and the World Cup hit Rio? Once the numbers with these sets reaches a certain number the big sports brands will want to get their logos on the screen and the global names amongst the players will also want to be seen by fans everything they click on for live pictures, reports, photos or videos of old games.
Live soccer at the press of button that can be watched where ever you are is coming to a mobile phone near you
Soon trains, boats and eventually planes will be full of people watching their favourite players and teams.
Maybe its markets such as these that the current owners of Liverpool and Manchester United hope will improve their currently somewhat debt laden investments.