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Ultra HD TVs, and egos, could revive Super Bowl TV sales

Mike Snider
USA TODAY
Black Friday shopper Umer Gonzalez pushes his Samsung big screen TV after purchasing it at a Walmart in Fairfax, Virginia, on November 28, 2014.

The annual Super Bowl big-screen TV buying rush is expected to get a boost this year because of interest in Ultra HD 4K TVs.

Another factor at play in consumers' purchases is the flip side of buyers' remorse, buyers' ego, which results in shoppers spending even more than they originally intended on a new TV for the big game.

TV makers and retailers alike rely on the NFL's main event to spur big-league TV spending. The week before the big game falls just behind Black Friday week and the week after Black Friday for the most TV sales.

However, Super Bowl-timed TV sales last year were down 3%, compared to 2013, according to market tracking firm The NPD Group. Analysts think that the growing interest in Ultra HD 4K TVs, which deliver four times the resolution of high-definition TVs, could prevent a repeat dip in sales.

UHD TV sales outperformed expectations in 2014 and could help revitalize overall TV sales, which have also fallen. That Ultra HD momentum "that is going to carry in from the holiday season will help," said Shawn Dubravac, chief economist at the Consumer Electronics Association and author of Digital Destiny: How the New Age of Data Will Transform the Way We Work, Live, and Communicate.

Consumer expectations about the economy -- and their own spending on technology -- is up in January, compared to last year, according to CEA research. "It's a very conducive environment for consumers. The labor market is improving, gas prices are down. All those dynamics are positive for consumer," he said. "Others who might not have been in the market for a television might use this as a good time to go get one and be attracted by 4K or larger screens that play well headed into the Super Bowl."

NPD analyst Ben Arnold expects sales of TVs 55 inches and larger -- the sweet spot for UHD 4K displays -- to increase 2% or 3%. Last year, sales of big screen TVs fell about 5%, NPD says. "I expect the increased affordability of 4K this year will help improve upon last year's (overall TV sales) total," said Arnold.

Among retailers with UHD 4K deals: Best Buy has two 65-inch LG Electronics displays, priced at $1,999.99 and $2,299.99 (has 3-D and an additional HDMI input). Sharp's new 60-inch 4K UHD display is sale-priced at $1,999 at Best Buy and other retailers.

Samsung's 55-inch 4K UHD Smart ($1,699.99) is available online and at Best Buy, HH Gregg, Sears and Walmart stores. Walmart also several UHD displays marked down including a 50-inch Samsung display for $998 in stores and on Walmart.com.

Retailers and TV manufacturers like those who buy TVs around the time of the big game because they spend more -- sometimes as much as $500 more -- than those who shop around Black Friday and Christmas-time, according to a data compiled by shopping app ShopAdvisor. Last year, Super Bowl TV buyers spent 22% more than Black Friday buyers and 57% more than those who bought at Christmas-time.

NPD data confirms the Super Bowl ego effect: during Black Friday week in 2013, consumers spent, on average, $745 for a TV 55-inches or larger. For last year's Super Bowl, consumers spent $1,003 on average.

"There is some of that, 'my TV has to be bigger & better than the neighbors'," said ShopAdvisor CEO Scott Cooper. "It's also an event that evokes some emotion, "A real fan has the best to cheer on the best team."

By the way, if you don't absolutely have to have a new big-screen for Sunday's game, don't let your ego take over. You can get a better price during Black Friday and around Christmas. And TV makers have new models arriving soon, so retailers may need to move those older models, meaning markdowns in March.

If you are shopping, "the price-quality mix is where it should be," Dubravac said. "So I think consumers who might be going into a store for Super Bowl will see the attractive pricing and availability for 4K."

Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @MikeSnider

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