PARIS (Reuters) - Flat television sales in France soared in August and September due to the Rugby World Cup which the country is hosting, market research firm GfK said in a statement on Friday.

GfK said it estimated 720,000 televisions were sold in the two months, 84 percent more than in the same period in 2006 and compared with expected growth this year of 65 percent.

"This championship should therefore have generated an additional 60 million euros of screen sales this year," it said.

French electronics retailers include chains like Conforama and Fnac, both owned by retail group PPR , Darty and BUT, owned by Kesa Electricals and big supermarket groups.
© Copyright 2007 Reuters.

Photo:
A woman stands in front of flat screens at an exhibition stand of the IFA 2007 consumer electronics fair in Berlin August 30, 2007. Flat television sales in France soared in August and September due to the Rugby World Cup which the country is hosting, market research firm GfK said in a statement on Friday. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke