Interest for Chromecast, Apple TV and televisions skyrockets before Rugby World Cup

Sport Planning Editor·NZ Herald·

1 Oct, 2019 07:11 PM2 mins to read

Year on year, interest for the products increased before the start of the Rugby World Cup. Photo / File

In true Kiwi fashion, it appears many rugby pundits left getting a streaming device to watch the Rugby World Cup until the very last minute.

Popularity for media players, like Chromecast and Apple TV, grew 104 per cent between September 1 and 23 compared to the same time last year.

Meanwhile, the busiest days for searches on PriceSpy were September 10 and September 21, the day before the All Blacks kicked-off their campaign.

Consumer interest increased 92 per cent year on year on September 10, skyrocketing 708 per cent year on year on September 20, insights showed.

As well as media players, another peak in consumer clicks were measured for television searches, PriceSpy country manager Liisa Matinvesi-Bassett said.

"We also saw another peak in consumer clicks received for TVs – growing 64 per cent on 19th September, compared to the same day in 2018.

Searches for streaming devices, like Apple TV (above), have skyrocketed this year. Photo / File

"These figures highlight just how important the Rugby World Cup is to Kiwis across the country, who don't want to miss out on any of the live action."

Streaming devices like Chromecast and Apple TV were just two ways people could watch the Rugby World Cup through Spark Sport.

Others include straight from a Smart TV and the other by simply plugging in your laptop to the television through an HDMI cord.

Last month, Noel Leeming and The Warehouse told the Herald stores had been flat out with people buying Smart TVs and streaming devices.

Tech specialists for Noel Leeming had also seen an increase in demand for TV installations, general manager of merchandise Jason Bell said.

"We have seen a significant spike in the sale of TVs and streaming devices, with sales in this category almost doubling in the lead up to the rugby season."