How to prepare for watching Euro matches with friends at home

Every four years, during the month of the Euro (European Football Championship) games, a wave of Israeli football fans flies to watch the matches live. This year, due to high prices and a precarious security situation, more Israelis plan to watch the games from home, and electronics stores are gearing up for peak demand for screens.

"Euro games take place during June-July, coinciding with Israelis' annual vacations abroad, which they save up for all year. This year, many have chosen to redirect their disposable income towards purchasing screens, projectors, and sound systems to enjoy the Euro games from their living rooms as vividly as possible," says Erez Vesner, VP of Sales at Mahsanei Hashmal.

"For instance, during the 2022 World Cup, which was also held in late June, Mahsanei Hashmal sold about 20,000 TVs and projectors. This year, given the situation, we are preparing to sell a record number of approximately 25,000 units in one month."

"This year, we are witnessing two main trends: a 70% increase in sales of screens in the 75-89 inch size category, mainly due to the attractive entry prices of brands like Chiq, Electra, and TCL, and a 30% increase in sales of 50-55 inch screens with built-in tuners, intended for bedrooms and children's rooms."

High demand, along with a wide range of brands, has prompted all screen and projector importers to be more aggressive in pricing this year, especially for large screens, ahead of the Euro tournament, reflecting a price reduction of up to 15% compared to current prices. Some importers will also offer additional promotions in June, such as free soundbars, free delivery and installation, and interest-free installment plans.

"For example," shares Vesner, "the new brand Chiq, which has recently entered Israel, will offer an 85-inch screen for NIS 4,690 in June instead of NIS 5,990. The company's 85-inch QLED screen will be offered at NIS 5,990 instead of NIS 6,490, and the 75-inch model will be available for NIS 3,690 instead of NIS 3,990."

A new addition to the screen category this year is the Electra brand, imported by Mahsanei Hashmal. During June, the price of Electra's 85-inch LED screen will be NIS 3,990 instead of NIS 4,790, the 75-inch LED screen will drop to NIS 2,690 instead of NIS 2,990, and the 65-inch screen will drop to NIS 1,890 instead of NIS 2,490."

Daniel Bar Sade, VP of Marketing and Business Development at Olam Hakolnoa, also anticipates high sales ahead of the Euro games: "In the last two weeks, we've seen a significant increase in demand for particularly large screens, and the Euro is definitely one of the major factors. People today seek a high-quality viewing experience at home and understand that a 75-inch screen and above is key to that. TCL, Peerless, and LG screens are among the top sellers in our network."

Avi Kornfeld, CEO of Xiaomi, adds: "Ahead of Euro 2024, we expect an increase in sales in Xiaomi's TV category starting early June, so we are preparing a large and diverse stock. It's one of the biggest sporting events in the world, and Xiaomi TVs promise viewers a full-color experience."

Shahar Maoz, Business Unit Manager at Electra Consumer Products, shares: "Due to Euro 2024, we expect a 25% increase in demand for TV screens, especially large and high-quality screens at affordable prices. The main consideration in purchasing a TV screen is real value for money - more screen for less money."

A New Generation of Screens

The Hamilton Group recently launched the Xiaomi TV A Pro 65'', a smart TV with a 65-inch UHD 4K screen, offering a sharp, colorful, and bezel-free viewing experience. The TV comes with the Google TV operating system, full Hebrew support, and pre-installed applications such as Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, and more.

The Xiaomi TV allows control of lights, air purifiers, security cameras, speakers, and more via voice control in various languages. The price: NIS 2,890, available at authorized resellers, Xiaomi stores, and the official Xiaomi Israel website.

Perfect for the Israeli Living Room

Mahsanei Hashmal offers the Premium 4K series from TCL, imported and marketed by Electra Consumer Products. The series features an extra-large collection at attractive prices in sizes 70, 75, 85, and 98 inches.

The most recommended model for the Israeli living room is the 70" 4K Google TV, which offers dynamic color enhancement, a Google operating system, AiPQ processor, and ample memory. The price: NIS 2,499, including installation and a wall mount. Available at Mahsanei Hashmal and Shekem Electric.

No Need for a Tuner

Recently, Electra Consumer Products launched the new JTV BY ELECTRA TV brand in Israel, offering a range of slim and modern designs in sizes 32-85 inches.

The JTV6V model is an 85" smart screen with a frameless design, offering easy content operation without the need for a tuner or two remotes, providing a vivid and sharp picture, high contrast, high brightness, and built-in audio for an ultimate sound experience at NIS 3,990. Available at Mahsanei Hashmal and Shekem Electric.

Surround Sound for Shared Viewing

The LG 86" LED Smart TV model 86UP8050PVB offers a high-resolution 4K Ultra HD viewing experience with sharp image and surround sound, a smart operating system, the ability to share content from smartphones, built-in WIFI, and a smart voice control system that allows control of the TV by voice command.

The screen is ideal for shared viewing, with an especially wide viewing angle, automatic genre recognition, and settings adjustment, sports alerts, and the schedule of favorite teams' games on the home screen. The price: NIS 4,999. Available online and at Olam Hakolnoa stores.

Game Mode

The Samsung 75" TV from the UHD 4K series is frameless, with a luxurious titanium finish. Model: 75AU7700 features sharp picture technology, deep black color, and glare reduction with smart lighting technology. The TV comes with built-in WIFI, a wired connection, apps, a browser, smart home support, and quick mirroring from mobile phones.

In addition to the ultimate viewing experience for games, gamers in the audience will also enjoy a unique automatic Game Mode for a perfect real-time gaming experience. The price: NIS 2,999, available online and at Olam Hakolnoa stores.

Hebrew-Supporting TV

The SONAB 65" 4K ULTRA HD LED SMART TV model: 65S300 is a smart UHD 4K TV with Android version 7.0, supporting Hebrew, with pre-installed apps and an enhanced picture processor for a sharp picture and optimal viewing experience.

Pre-installed applications include Google Play, Facebook, YouTube, and an app store. The USB HD input supports photo/audio/text/movie files including DIVX with Hebrew subtitles. The price: NIS 1,599, available online and at Olam Hakolnoa stores.

Projecting Sound

The Hisense 5.1 channel soundbar, model AX5100, includes two speakers and a wireless subwoofer to complete the viewing experience. The soundbar has seven speakers that fill the room with surround sound using Dolby Atmos technology, making you feel like you're in the stadium.

It offers several sound enhancement modes, such as news, movies, and night mode. It allows easy wireless connections from smart devices. The price: NIS 899. Available online and at Olam Hakolnoa product stores.

Friends Coming Over for Beer

Goldstar Unfiltered is brewed according to the beloved and high-quality Goldstar recipe but skips the final filtration process before bottling. This allows the beer to retain its excellent taste and color components and even thickens its dense foam crown.

Goldstar Unfiltered is characterized by a thicker feel and a stronger fruity taste, with a full body and a slightly thick and "cloudy" appearance, offering the raw and high-quality taste of Goldstar. Recommended retail price: NIS 35 for a six-pack. Available in wine shops and select retail chains.

A Summer of Beer and Football

The Czech premium beer Staropramen, which has been around for over 154 years and is exported to many countries worldwide, is launching a new beer pack ahead of this summer's hot sporting event! The pack includes 5 bottles of 330 ml alongside a unique and branded beer glass.

The beer is in the traditional Czech Pilsner style, including premium Czech hops that provide a superb aroma, a hint of fruitiness, and a balanced and refreshing taste. 5% alcohol. Recommended retail price for the special pack: NIS 30. The pack is available in wine shops and select retail chains.

On the Table

For football fans everywhere and those who couldn't fly to watch the Euro games live, the home design brand KARE offers foosball tables for home play.

The tables are made of high-quality materials and are suitable for several participants. Available in black/white. Dimensions (H/W/D): 90 x 125 x 145 cm. Price per table: NIS 4,509. Available at the new showroom in UMI House, 11 Moshe Levi Street, Rishon Lezion.

At Their Peak

For those who sweat just from watching while lounging on the couch or for the group of guys gathering in a home living room after a day's work, the AXE deodorant brand offers a new premium series. The brand's team collaborated with Israeli rapper E-Z to create a full-length song and video clip for the launch of the new premium series.

The central message of the campaign is "The best AXE we've ever created." The premium collection series was crafted by world-renowned perfumers combining essential oils and contains twice as many protective ingredients compared to the brand's well-known body spray series. Price range per unit: NIS 16-18. Available in pharmacy chains.

Replacing Beer with Cocktails

The trend of individual bottled cocktails began to gain momentum at the beginning of 2020. Since then, home alcohol consumption has significantly increased, and the bottled cocktail trend has become a leading segment in alcohol consumption in Israel.

Now, the beverage company "Yafora" is entering the alcohol sector for the first time with the Schweppes brand, launching a new series of cocktails containing 5% quality alcohol in flavors such as Vodka Russian, Gin and Tonic, Mojito, and Lemon Arak.

Fizzing Up

The Orangina drink, popular in the 1980s and returned to shelves about a year ago, is expanding its family with a series of individual glass bottles in the beloved flavors of orange, citrus, and fizzy red orange.

Packaging: family bottle (1.5 liters) and glass bottle (330 ml). Flavors: fizzy orange, fizzy citrus, fizzy red orange. Available in retail chains, convenience stores, kiosks, and selected grocery stores.