Purchasing a new Big Screen TV is one of the larger purchase decisions you’ll make in any given year. If you strategically plan your purchase by waiting for these predictable opportunities, you’ll save the most money and maximize your TV budget.
These are the 6 best times of year to buy a Big Screen TV:
- February (Super Bowl)
- April (New TV Releases)
- July (Amazon Prime Day)
- August (Back to School)
- November (Black Friday & Cyber Monday)
- December (After Christmas)
Let’s discuss each opportunity so you know what to expect.
Super Bowl TV Sales in February
The NFL’s championship game consistently breaks record as the most watched television event of the year. If you’re not hosting a Super Bowl party yourself, chances are you’re going to one. This event alone inspires home owners to seek out a new Big Screen TV so they and their guests can enjoy the game in all of its highest definition glory.
Two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl retailers will start their TV sales with the larger models especially discounted. You’ll want to snag a deal 1 or 2 weeks in advance but don’t way much longer:
- Several days prior to the Super Bowl prices will actually go up to account for the surge of last minute shoppers
- You need to time have your TV delivered, properly installed, and troubleshoot any issues before your guests arrive
With any luck you’ll be able to save up to 30% on that new TV. Hopefully you can pay it off with your winnings from Super Bowl squares.
Spring Cleaning (Last Year’s Models)
TVs are much like cars: the moment new models arrive, last year’s model see huge discounts. They need to make room for the new inventory!
This provides Big Screen buyers with two options:
- If you’re waiting for the newest TVs with the most cutting edge features and technology- now is your time to buy. All of the newest TV lines launch in late March and April.
- If you’re looking for a deal, retailers start deeply discounting TV models that are just 1 year old so that they can make room for the new inventory.
We highly recommend buying during this time since often times the brand new TVs are priced excessively high compared to their year-old companions. You’ll hopefully own this television for many years to come- unless there is a jaw dropping feature that you don’t want to miss, buying the older models headed out the door is fantastic opportunity.
Amazon Prime Day in July
The online sales behemoth holds an event every July dubbed “Amazon Prime Day” that is essentially the Black Friday of Summer. The sales stretch across every industry and no product line seems to be spared from the price slashing- including TVs!
Amazon Prime Day tends to provide the best deals on budget-oriented TVs so if you’re looking for a low cost big screen TV, this is one of the best times.
Other retailers have jumped onboard the Amazon Prime Day bandwagon by featuring their own sales in what has essentially become “Anti-Prime Day” for everyone except Amazon. They know shoppers will be shopping so they provide deep discounts in hopes of undercutting Amazon, attracting eyeballs, and enjoying their little slice of Christmas in July.
Back to School in August
Parents are very familiar with Back to School sales for products ranging from clothes and school supplies to electronics, but TVs?
Yep, because college kids.
The TV sales in August are geared towards college students who typically want smaller TVs and more budget-friendly TVs. Smaller TVs aren’t really our thing (do you know our name?!) but they’re perfect for Freshman and Sophomores living in the dorms. Meanwhile the Juniors and Seniors living off-campus can compliment their bachelor pad with a big screen TV that isn’t too pricey but still gives them gigantic gaming and epic TV watching.
Black Friday & Cyber Monday
Duh! Black Friday has long been the shopping calendar mecca for great deals and TVs are largely considered the greatest opportunity. That line of thought still prevails today.
In years past shoppers would need to visit retail stores to win the chance at “Door Buster” deals that will knock your stockings off the fireplace. You can still risk your life in those physical store stampedes if you’d like, but the advent of online shopping has made tons of deals available from the comfort of your own home.
In fact, shoppers that jump at opportunities on Friday may come to regret their purchase decision on Monday, traditionally known as “Cyber Monday”.
The truth is that the lines have become so blurred that “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” hardly exist. We call it “Holiday Havoc Sales” because it’s the wild west of deals and each year is as unpredictable as the last.
One thing is for sure: the day after Thanksgiving is when you can start getting great TV deals and the craziness will last at least through Monday at midnight.
After Christmas (Dec. 26th – Jan. 1st)
Once Black Friday and Cyber Monday are in the rear view mirror, holiday shopping is in full swing and the outrageous sales tend to subside. If you missed the opportunity to buy a TV, you should wait until Christmas Day passes.
The day after Christmas retailers are busy accepting boat loads of exchanges, defective products, and exchanges: they’ve got their hands full. They also have inventory sitting on the showroom floor that isn’t likely to sell quickly- everyone just blew their budgets for holiday shopping.
The best way for them to move excess inventory from the holidays is to drop prices. Better yet you can buy an open box item at an even better discount! You’ll want to consider the warranty in that case.
Worst Time to Buy a TV
If you’re not replacing an existing TV set and need a new TV because you’ve got nothing to put in your room, you’ll probably want something sooner rather than later. If waiting for one of these 6 sales opportunities is too long of a wait, just make sure you’re not blowing your money and buying at one of the WORST times to buy a TV.
- February after the Super Bowl: you’ve missed all the Super Bowl sales and you’re too early for the spring cleaning discounts. You’ll end up buying “last year’s model” at full price.
- October: the lull in sales is real. Full price now or wait 1 month for the best sales of the year?