IPL adds zing to TV sales during April-May

KOLKATA: After witnessing a near 4% dip in sales in the first quarter (January-March) of 2008, TV sales have yet again gained momentum during April-May.

The industry saw TV sales growing by 35% during the period, courtesy the unbridled cricket mania.

The surge in demand comes at a time when TV sales normally remain flat. What's more, manufacturers have seen robust demand from not just the metros but also rural markets. The industry feels the IPL-led TV sales will form a large chunk to meet the industry���s sales target of 12.5 million this year.

Samsung India Electronics deputy MD R Zutshi told ET: "The eyeballs which IPL generated led to incremental growth in TV sales. Our TV sales shot up by 40% during May. And we leveraged IPL by announcing a promotional offer during this period which should sustain sales growth till June."

Latest ORG figures reveal that overall TV sales in April grew by 34.7%.