What a difference design makes: Hisense celebrates top TV spot after summer of sport

03.09.2024 - 04:09 / euronews.com

What a summer of sport we've had this year. From the Euros, via Wimbledon to the Olympics, fan zones, for many, have been their favourite part of the communal and cultural experience.

They’ve become such a common and colourful part of international events that it's easy to forget just how remarkable they are. In football, 20-years or so years ago, the thought of rival fans being encouraged to get together to watch their teams play was a dream for some but a real nightmare for others.

Television, of course, played an enormous part and the battle to be Europe's biggest supplier is fierce. After all, what differentiates one big screen from another? How it makes you feel is the answer according to Chinese electronics firm Hisense, which is having a significant impact through major sponsorship deal and, crucially it says, by putting design at the forefront of its domestic products.

For four weeks, Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg Gate became the world’s biggest fan park; one of ten in Germany, that was ready to welcome ticketless supporters

The Brandenburg fan park set the tone for the level of consideration fans could expect. Organisers literally rolled out the green carpet for supporters by laying metres of green turf in the zone as a nod to the playing surfaces at the nation’s football grounds. Music concerts, an open-air cinema, DJ sets, performances, and exhibitions all formed part of the unique visitor experience fans enjoyed at the championship.

But while the entertainment for fans was top-notch, the reason record numbers visited the parks was to see the matches, putting huge pressure on Hisense, the firm chosen by European football's governing body UEFA to deliver the tech and pin-sharp pictures from the stadium via its giant screens, quickly and seamlessly.

The tournament also marked the first time a major brand had put its name next to the Video-Assisted Referee (VAR) system used to settle contentious decisions on the pitch. This meant providing smooth 'state-of-the-art' screen solutions for the tournament's central VAR Room.

It was also the first time UEFA had given exclusive rights to one of its sponsors so the stakes couldn't have been higher for the Chinese firm. Get it right and the fans wouldn’t notice, get it wrong and their reputation, and potentially their business, would have taken a serious hit.

The company has expanded quickly over the past five years, operating in more than 160 countries. According to Omdia, Hisense ranked No. 2 globally for TV shipments and No. 1 in 100" TVs in both 2023 and Q1 2024.

And that's where design, preparation and planning comes to the fore according to Hisense's Executive Vice President in Germany, Sühel Semerci, who says sponsoring two of the world's biggest