Record flat-screen sales forecast for Europe

Sales of flat-screen TVs in the 27 countries of the European Union are expected to amount to a record 50.2 million this year, according to the European Information Technology Observatory (EITO).

The figure represents a year-on-year increase of 6%, driven by events including the Winter Olympics and the World Cup.

According to EITO, sales of flat-screen TVs in the UK are expected to increase by 5% to around 10.5 million sets this year. In Germany, sales are expected to rise by 4.7% to 8.2 million sets, while France will see an increase of 4.6% to 6.9 million sets. Spain is the strongest growing EU country, with flat-screen sales expected to increase in 2010 by 10% to 5.4 million sets. Italy, on the other hand, is seeing a decrease, with sales set to fall by around 4.1%, to some 5.7 million sets.

Despite strong volume sales, EITO predicts that revenues will decline across the EU by 3% to €26.7bn, thanks to falling prices. Since 2006 the average price for flat-screen TVs has fallen from €1,000 to €530.