Muscat: The shops that sold android boxes and IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) in the heart of the capital city in Ruwi area, which is home for over 100 such commercial outlets, is now on a new awakening with the World Cup football matches getting fierce by the day.
Technicians and owners of the shop that earlier provided satellite and dish TV connections in this area which is otherwise slow after the mobile phones got even more popular fetching almost everything at a click, are running 24 x7 either with new connections or for servicing or adding channels to their existing subscribers.
“Yes, we were almost redundant over the past few years as traditional dish antennae became obsolete and number of satellite connections turned to be near to zilch. Events like world cup football matches give us a new lease of life,” Ahmed al Wuhaibi, a satellite set-top boxes (STBs) shop owner in Ruwi said.
These technicians and shops are approached for cable boxes, which is used for traditional coaxial cable television; for satellite receivers, which decodes signals wirelessly from a satellite dish; or for digital/terrestrial receivers, which is also known as ‘freeview boxes’, used to receive free-to-air channels broadcast over the air; or for smart tv/ streaming boxes, according to Prem of Ruwi Star National LLC, another shop owner here.
His phone doesn’t rest during the WC days and nights and receives calls like, “Uncle, my beIN signal is pixelating during penalties!”
“My son’s school friends are coming today to watch the match, can you install a new STP by 7pm?”, “He can I get every stadium camera angle?”
These shops have technicians who are also installers, and they are swung to duty immediately and rush to the home or coffee shops that streamed the matches.
Reports suggest that satellite television connections and global TV shipments surged ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with worldwide TV shipments rising 6percent year-on-year to 50.3 million units as retailers stocked up a few months prior to the WC while satellite providers recorded high viewing numbers and expanded services to meet massive tournament demand.
The FIFA World Cup historically drives a massive surge in IPTV subscriptions and network traffic as fans seek to bypass expensive traditional cable packages. With the massive international influx of viewership, users experience specific service trends and technical requirements.
“I manage to sell at least 5 to 10 connections every day besides servicing the existing ones or helping them add new channels including United Sports to the existing ones because viewers actively seek 4K HDR channel feeds, relying on international coverage from providers broadcasting on networks like Fox, BBC, and BeIN,” Mohammed Ziyad, a large scale player in the IPTV market adds.
Mohammad al Subaie, CEO of beIN MENA, which offers exclusive access to the FIFA WC 2026, said, “The evolution to TOD by beIN marks an important milestone in our digital growth at a defining moment for sport and entertainment in our region. “This unifies beIN’s digital streaming proposition under the globally recognised and trusted beIN brand during the FIFA World Cup 2026, while reinforcing our commitment to innovation and a world-class viewing experience for our audiences,” Mohammed said.
“TOD has rapidly established itself as one of MENA’s leading streaming platforms – following its launch at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - reaching 24 countries, supported by more than 50 strategic distribution and commercial partners, and available across all major Smart TV platforms. With TOD by beIN we are creating a powerful, seamless destination for sport and entertainment where fans can enjoy sport anywhere, anytime, and on any device,” adds Peter Mrkic, Managing Director of TOD MENA.
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