NPD: Big-Screen TV Sales Bump Expected in Seattle, Denver
30 Jan, 2014 By: Erik GruenwedelCities’ Seahawks and Broncos square off Feb. 2 in Super Bowl XLVIII
The week before the Super Bowl typically acts as a catalyst to sales of big-screen TVs. According to The NPD Group, Super Bowl Sunday is the third-largest sales week for TVs 50 inches and above — just behind the first two weeks of the winter holiday season, which includes Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Interest in watching the game is especially high in the home cities of the teams playing. In 2013, January sales of TVs with screens 50 inches or larger spiked 88% and 79% in the San Francisco (49ers) and Baltimore (Ravens) markets, respectively, compared with the year prior, according to NPD.
Super Bowl XLVIII pits the Seattle Seahawks against the Denver Broncos playing outdoors in New Jersey.
“Sporting events like the Super Bowl are best experienced on a big screen,” Ben Arnold, executive director at NPD, said in a statement. “So it makes sense that we see sales of big screens spike before the year’s biggest football game.”
Lower prices also help to fuel sales before the Super Bowl. In the week prior to Super Bowl XLVII in 2013, the average selling price for a 50-inch flat-panel set was $590 — 5% below the average price for the surrounding six month period (December through May). And 60-inch TVs sold for just under $1,100 — 9% below the six month average. By comparison, average prices for sets below 50 inches did not drop leading up to the Super Bowl.
“For the consumer who missed out on the big holiday TV sales, Super Bowl week is a second chance to update their set,” Arnold said. “The opportunity to watch the game on a new big-screen TV at an attractive price makes it a good time, regardless of your level of interest in the game.”