Tech roundup: The World Cup goes digital in Brazil

Welcome to our Tech roundup, where we show you Brazil’s biggest stories on technology and innovation. This week: who needs a TV to watch the World Cup? 

The World Cup on the small screen

Every four years, Brazilian retailers see television sales soar in the lead-up to the World Cup. For this year’s tournament — which begins at the end of this week — vendors expect an 8-percent increase in revenue. But this time around, mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets have started to replace larger screens.

• Gil Rosen, CMO of software company Amdocs, says that with increasing internet access, people will start to watch more of the World Cup streamed to their handheld devices.

Why it matters. While the number of Brazilians with cable TV at home continued to drop last year, internet access in the country increased. Over 90 percent of Brazilian homes are online. For more than 99 percent of connected households, smartphones are the leading device they use to access the internet, according to national statistics bureau IBGE.

Age factor. A survey commissioned by Amdocs showed that 75 percent of viewers in Brazil plan to watch the World Cup live on TV. However, half of those under 35 intend to stream games instead. Additionally, 30 percent of Brazilians plan to follow matches via social media.

New players. Younger people are precisely the audience...