Interest surrounding the recent 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, has helped strengthen the digital signage market, according to a new report from IHS Technology, contributing to higher shipments of flat-panel screens.

IHS says the trend has not only helped the digital signage market in Eastern Europe “dig out from under a slump” in 2014 compared to 2013, but also led to industry growth across wider regions, including Western Europe, the Middle East and Africa, among others.

“The Eastern Europe territory was the only area to suffer a loss in shipment volume in 2013,” says Sanju Khatri, IHS’s director for digital signage and public information displays, “compared to a slight uptick in Western Europe and 18 per cent growth in territories like the Middle East and Africa.”

With the boost from Sochi, IHS predicts the digital signage market will grow by one per cent in Western Europe and two per cent in Eastern Europe over the course of 2014, while North America will continue to lead the global digital signage market.

Khatri notes Eastern Europe, on the whole, has traditionally been more hesitant to invest in digital signage technologies, due to high venture costs and operational expenses, but the massive level of exposure resulting from the Winter Olympics will help propel industry growth, particularly with regard to the installation of new screens in hotels and shopping malls.

Further growth in the region should benefit from another sports extravaganza: the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup football tournament, which will be held in Russia in 2018.

IHS also believes the gradual financial recovery of the Eurozone will help the industry gain additional traction across the rest of Europe, allowing growth to remain uninterrupted through 2017.

“This growth will be especially vigorous in the retail and public-space sectors,” says Hicham Zoultaoui, an IHS digital signage analyst.

In North America, meanwhile, digital signage network operators also took advantage of the Olympics for greater visibility, subscribing to custom news feeds that allowed them to display the latest medal standings, photos and video clips.