Score a free TV to watch England at this year's World Cup
Over 30 million Brits are planning to follow the World Cup from the comfort of their own living rooms, according to uSwitch.com. But while some TV shops are attempting to lure consumers in with money back offers that are dependent on England's performance, it's the mobile phone companies that are truly offering the safe bet this year.
Major networks including O2, T-Mobile, Orange and Three are offering customers a new HD- ready TV for as little as £10 a month for a 24 month contract. For those who are willing to pay upwards of £15 a month, a free handset and up to £170 cashback is on offer. According to uSwitch.com, consumers are already catching on, with a 28% uplift in ‘free TV' searches over the last month alone.
And if there was ever a time to net a new TV, it would seem that the World Cup is it. With over 26 billion expected to tune in across the world, advanced technology means more people will hope to recreate cinema quality viewing from their sofas. In fact, in the UK less than 10% plan to go out to watch the games. Nearly 2 million intend to upgrade their existing TV and over 2.5 million plan to improve their TV package to benefit from the high definition quality now available - despite the fact that all of England's games are being shown on terrestrial TV.
The importance of the event is clear, with 4 million (8%) cancelling other plans to put football first. A quarter of Brits (25.3%) even think that employers should show games in company time. But if they don't get to watch the games on TV, Brits will ensure they don't miss out with 20% listening in on the radio and 6% using their mobile phones to follow the game. So, with World Cup coverage set to dominate many households this summer, a second TV and a great mobile phone deal could be a saving grace.
Matthew Wheeler, communications expert at uSwitch.com, says: "With football set to dominate this summer, this deal really does score. With average savings of £81 to be made by getting a new mobile deal, plus a TV thrown in, this is a win-win for consumers. The monthly tariffs start from as little as £10 a month for 50 minutes and unlimited texts. The new TV alone is worth around £170, so over the 24 month period the contract could work out to just £4 a month, taking into account the one-off cost of £30 for a handset.
"The deal is likely to be as popular with football fans as football widows. Two million consumers are worried that they'll be neglected by their partner during the World Cup and three million fear that they will miss out on what they want to watch so these offers have the potential to keep a lot of people happy this summer."