The FIFA World Cup is turning out to be a bumper harvest for the direct-to-home (DTH) service providers in the State. With the companies offering free subscription of ESPN-Star Sports bouquet with new connections, making the most of the FIFA World Cup 2010 mania, the number of new subscribers has doubled.

Airtel Digital TV, which is offering free subscription for five months, added more than 70 new subscribers on Wednesday in Malappuram district alone. ‘‘Apart from the Northern districts, demand for new connections has increased in Thiruvananthapuram. Usually, we provide around 15 new connections a day in the capital. Now, around 28 new connections are being installed a day here,’’ an official with Airtel DTH in the city told Expresso.

For Sun Direct DTH, the football season is much like the Onam sale. ‘‘We are having a boom in fresh subscribers in the State, especially in Malappuram, Kannur and Kozhikode. The number of new connections has doubled during this period,’’ said Umesh, area sales manager of Sun DTH, which is offering free access to ESPN and Star Sports for new connections during the World Cup period. For existing customers, Sun Direct will add ESPN and Star Sports for the football month at an additional subscription of Rs 40.

Dish TV and Tata Sky are also providing offers as part of the World Cup campaign. ‘‘The subscription of ESPN and Star Sports is given free of cost with all new connections.

We have recorded an increase of around 30 percent during this period,’’ an official with Tata Sky said.

The uncertainty regarding the airing of the football matches by Asianet Cable Services (ACS), one of the largest cable chains in the State, also helped the DTH operators.

Several ACS customers switched their loyalty to DTH ahead of the World Cup. However, the ACS could reduce the damage at the last moment by deciding to beam ESPN and Star Sports again.

Source: Expressbuzz.com