The report says Swiss consumers are replacing their television sets less frequently than they did around earlier World Cups. Many households already own screens they consider good enough, reducing the urgency to buy a larger or newer model for the tournament.
The viewing experience has also become more fragmented. Supporters can follow matches on existing smart TVs, phones and laptops, making a new living-room screen less essential than it once was. The football event remains the same, but the route into the home has changed.
Retailers have maintained the familiar pre-tournament push, but the expected sales rush appears weaker. A television is a significant discretionary purchase, and households facing higher everyday costs can postpone it without missing the competition.
That makes the World Cup a less dependable retail driver. Fans may still spend on subscriptions, sound systems or match-day experiences, but the traditional link between football’s biggest tournament and a new television is no longer automatic.
The tournament remains one of the world’s biggest sporting occasions, and retailers will continue to see commercial opportunities around it. The difference is that the market may now depend more on targeted promotions and existing customers than on a broad wave of household upgrades.
The next test will come during the tournament itself: whether live matches can revive demand after a subdued run-up, or whether Swiss viewing habits have permanently moved beyond the pre-World Cup television boom.