You've probably been there. It’s the Monday before the Big Game, you’re looking at your current living room setup, and suddenly that 55-inch screen looks like a postage stamp. You want something massive. You want 4K. You want to see the sweat on the quarterback's brow in high definition. But then the panic hits: Did I miss the window? When do Super Bowl TV sales start, exactly?
Honestly, if you're waiting until the week of the game, you're already late to the party.
The reality of the television market in 2026 is that retailers like Best Buy, Amazon, and Walmart have turned January into a second Black Friday. It’s a calculated move. They know you have holiday gift cards burning a hole in your pocket, and they know the NFL playoffs are the ultimate "impulse buy" trigger. If you want the short answer: the first real wave of price cuts usually lands in mid-January, roughly three to four weeks before kickoff.
The January Surprise: Why Super Bowl TV Sales Start Now
There is a very specific reason retailers start slashing prices in January. It isn't just about football. Every year in early January, the tech world descends on Las Vegas for CES (the Consumer Electronics Show). This is where Sony, LG, and Samsung show off their shiny new 2026 models.
Once those new TVs are announced, the "old" 2025 models sitting in warehouses suddenly become yesterday’s news. Retailers are desperate to clear them out before the new inventory arrives in March and April.
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For Super Bowl LX, which is happening on February 8, 2026, the sales cycle looks something like this:
- Early January: Post-holiday "New Year, New View" sales start. These are okay, but usually just leftovers from December.
- Mid-January (The Sweet Spot): This is when the official "Super Bowl" branding starts appearing on websites. You’ll see aggressive discounts on 65-inch and 75-inch sets.
- Early February: The "last-minute" deals. These are risky because shipping becomes a gamble. You don't want to be the person whose 85-inch OLED arrives on Monday morning after the game.
Real Talk on the Discounts
Let’s look at some actual numbers we're seeing this year. Right now, a 75-inch TCL QM5K Mini-LED—which is a fantastic mid-range workhorse for sports because of its brightness—has dropped from $1,199 down to about $699. That’s a massive chunk of change.
If you’re a snob for picture quality (no judgment, I am too), the OLED market is where the real drama happens. Samsung’s S84F 65-inch model is hovering under $900 at Best Buy. Compare that to its $1,999 launch price, and you start to see why people wait for this window. Is it as cheap as it was on Black Friday? Sometimes. Usually, it's within $50 of the all-time low.
The Best Time to Buy for Super Bowl LX
If you are aiming for the absolute best value, you should be shopping between January 15th and January 25th.
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Why that specific window? It’s the "Goldilocks" zone. The prices are at their lowest point before the game, but more importantly, the stock is still there. If you wait until February 1st, the most popular models—like the LG C5 or the Hisense U8 series—often go out of stock or have delivery dates pushed back.
Why the Size Matters for Sports
Football is unique. Unlike a dark, moody movie where you want perfect blacks, football is bright, fast, and colorful. You need a TV with high "motion handling." If you buy a super-cheap "doorbuster" TV from a brand you’ve never heard of, the football will look like a blurry yellow smudge when it’s flying through the air.
If you're looking for recommendations for the 2026 game:
- For Bright Rooms: Go with a Mini-LED. The Hisense U65QF or the Samsung Q7F are great because they get bright enough to fight the glare from your windows during a daytime party.
- For the Ultimate Setup: OLED is still king. The LG B5 is currently one of the most affordable ways to get into the OLED game, sitting around $699 for a 48-inch or $1,199 for a 65-inch.
Common Myths About Super Bowl TV Sales
People always say, "Wait until the day after the game, people return them and you can get an open-box deal!"
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Sorta. But it's a gamble.
Yes, there is a subset of people who "rent" a TV by buying it on Friday and returning it on Monday. Retailers hate this, but it happens. However, you’re competing with every other bargain hunter in town for maybe three or four units per store. Plus, you have to inspect those units like a hawk. Did the previous guy scratch the screen while trying to fit it in his Camry? Did he lose the remote? It’s a lot of stress for an extra 10% off.
Another myth: "The Super Bowl deals are just cheaper versions of good TVs."
This actually used to be true. Manufacturers would make "derivative models" with fewer HDMI ports or cheaper plastic just for holiday sales. But in 2026, the supply chain is more streamlined. The deals you see in January are almost always the flagship models from the previous year. You’re getting the good stuff; it’s just last year's good stuff.
How to Win Your Super Bowl TV Hunt
- Track the Price History: Use tools like CamelCamelCamel or Honey. If you see a TV marked "Super Bowl Sale" but the price is the same as it was in October, walk away.
- Check the Refresh Rate: If you see a 75-inch TV for $350, it likely has a 60Hz refresh rate. For football, you really want 120Hz. It makes the movement of the players look fluid instead of jittery.
- Verify Delivery: Amazon is great, but big TVs are shipped via "scheduled delivery." This isn't a one-day Prime thing. It can take a week to get a two-man crew to your house.
- Think About Sound: Most modern TVs are thin, which means their speakers are garbage. If you’re spending $800 on a TV, save $150 for a decent soundbar. The roar of the crowd is half the fun.
Actionable Next Steps
If you want a new screen for February 8, don't wait until the playoffs are over. Start your search right now.
Open up a tab for Best Buy, Amazon, and Walmart. Look specifically for 2025 model year OLED and Mini-LED sets. If the price for a 65-inch OLED is under $1,100, or a 75-inch Mini-LED is under $800, that’s your signal to pull the trigger. Check the "delivery by" date before you hit checkout. Once that TV arrives, spend thirty minutes in the settings menu turning off "Motion Smoothing" (or "Soap Opera Effect") so the game actually looks like a game and not a daytime soap opera.
Buy the TV by January 25th, get it mounted by the 30th, and you'll have a week to break it in before the kickoff.