Finnish antenna sales surge amid MTV and Elisa dispute

Finnish retailers report a sharp rise in TV antenna sales following a contract dispute between broadcaster MTV and telecom operator Elisa, which cut off MTV’s free broadcasts on Elisa’s cable network on May 13.

At the Jyväskylä department store Kärkkäinen, sales of indoor TV antennas jumped by 180% over a two-week period, according to home electronics seller Ilkka Hardén. Customers sought access to the Ice Hockey World Championships as well as regular programming such as the soap operas Emmerdale and Salatut elämät.

Nationwide chains Motonet and Puuilo also confirmed the spike. Motonet CEO Marko Röytiö said antenna sales grew by several tens of percent in May compared to the same period last year, when demand had already peaked due to the switch to HD broadcasts. Puuilo sales director Markus Kaatranen reported that UHF antenna sales had doubled.

Both Röytiö and Kaatranen attribute the surge to the MTV-Elisa dispute, which coincided with the start of the Ice Hockey World Championships. With the FIFA World Cup approaching, retailers expect sustained demand, though Hardén noted that Finland remains more focused on ice hockey.