Pay-TV operators in Russia signed up to one and half times more subscribers than usual during the World Cup earlier this summer.
According to Kommersant, MTS gained 50% more new subscribers during the period June 14 – July 15, with the number quadrupling on the days the most anticipated matches, inclusing those featuring the Russian national team, were played.
However, in the case of Orion the DTH operator noted only a 3% increase during the competition, though in some areas, including Moscow and Moscow region, the number of new subscribers doubled.
On the other hand, for NTV-Plus the World Cup was one of several factors that boosted its new subscriber numbers by 46% between April and June.
Meanwhile, the cable operator Akado saw a 1.5 times increase in new customers in Moscow during the competition.
For Rostelecom, growth was seen in both the consumer and corporate sectors.
Indeed, the corporate sector played a large part in boosting pay-TV take-up during the World Cup.
It is forecast to grow by 30% this year, due largely to the increase in connections before the competition.
