- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Best TV
- Best For Cable
- Best Budget
- All Reviews
- Discussions
- Store-bought TVs; no cherry-picked units
- Retest after major updates
- Easily comparable results
- No ads; unbiased reviews
Manufacturers have focused their efforts on releasing models that will keep sports fans happy. When looking for a sports TV, one must look for brightness, uniformity (to avoid screen shade clouding also known as dirty screen effect), fast motion handling, and wide viewing angles to accommodate your friends when watching the Super Bowl together.
We've tested 102 TVs, and below are our recommendations for the best TVs for sports to buy in 2019.
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Best TV For Watching Sports: LG B8 OLED
Usage Ratings - Version 1.38.7SportsThe best TV for watching sports is the LG B8. This OLED TV has outstanding wide viewing angles, great for sharing the big game with a bunch of friends. It also has a nearly instantaneous response time, so there is no distracting blur-trail behind the players as they move. It has very good uniformity with very little dirty screen effect.
Unfortunately, this TV can't get extremely bright, so if you have a lot of windows, it might not be ideal for watching a game in the afternoon. As an OLED TV, there is also the risk of experiencing permanent burn-in or temporary image retention, but we don't expect this to be an issue for most people.
Overall, this is an outstanding TV that should please most sports viewers. If you're looking for a different design or better speakers, the LG C8 or LG E8 are equally good choices.
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Brighter LED Alternative: Vizio P Series Quantum 2018
If the possibility of burn-in with the LG B8 concerns you, or you have a bright room, the Vizio P Series Quantum is the best, brightest LED alternative. This TV can get extremely bright and has outstanding reflection handling, so you should have no issues even if your living room is surrounded by windows. Like the LG, this TV has an outstanding response time, with very little blur trail and good gray uniformity.
Unfortunately, unlike the LG, this TV doesn't have good viewing angles, so it isn't as well-suited for watching the big game with a large group of friends, as people sitting off-angle will see a worse image. Overall, though, this is an excellent TV for watching sports.
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Best LED TV For Cable Sports: Sony X900F
Usage Ratings - Version 1.38.1SportsThe Sony X900F is the best LED TV if you watch a lot of sports on cable. Most cable sports channels broadcast in 720p, and the upscaling on the Vizio P Series Quantum isn't the best. The Sony handles lower resolution content better than the Vizio, and offers more control over the upscaling and motion processing features, so you can enjoy the big game the way you want to enjoy it.
This TV isn't quite as good as the Vizio in some areas, as it isn't as bright and has slightly worse reflection handling. In other ways, though, it's better. It has a nearly flicker-free backlight, which is great, and it still has an optional black frame insertion feature if you want even clearer motion. Although this TV has great contrast, it doesn't look as good in a pitch-black room as the LG B8 OLED.
Unfortunately, the image degrades when viewed at an angle, so it isn't the best for watching the big game in a large room with a large group of people. Overall, though, it's a great TV for watching sports.
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Wider Room Alternative: LG SK9000
If you like watching the big game every Sunday with a group of friends, and you want something with wider viewing angles than the Sony X900F, check out the LG SK9000 instead. This TV delivers a great sports experience, with wide viewing angles, a fast response time, and great peak brightness. Unfortunately, it has slightly worse gray uniformity than the Sony, and there is a bit more noticeable dirty screen effect, but it still looks great. Although the upscaling and motion features don't offer the same level of control as the Sony, it has great upscaling and you shouldn't have any issues with it.
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Best Budget TV For Watching Sports: LG UK7700
Usage Ratings - Version 1.37.8SportsIf you think that the Sony X900F is expensive, the best budget sports TV we’ve tested is the LG UK7700. This TV doesn't have the great picture quality or the excellent motion handling of the Sony.
This is a good TV for mixed usage, but also a good choice for sports watching due to its fast response time and good gray uniformity. It has excellent reflection handling, so placing it in a room with many lights shouldn't be a problem. Also, because of its IPS panel, watching from the side is okay since the viewing angles are better even when compared to more expensive models with VA panels, like the Samsung Q6FN.
Overall, this is a good TV for watching sports and it can be placed in a variety of rooms with different lighting conditions.
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Cheaper Alternative: TCL 6 Series/R617 2018
If you're looking for a cheaper alternative than the LG UK7700, then get the TCL 6 Series R617. You won't get the wide viewing angles of the LG, and you might spot some dirty screen effect, depending on your panel. However, the TCL is a TV with very good picture quality, as well as good reflection and motion handling. It'll make you happy for most uses, and certainly for sports.
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Larger Screen Alternative: Vizio E Series 2018
If you would like a TV in the budget category that is available in bigger sizes than the LG UK7700, then get the Vizio E Series 2018. You won't get the wide viewing angles or the excellent reflection handling of the LG. On the upside, this is a TV with decent picture quality, low input lag, and good motion that will perform well in most uses, including sports. It's only found in larger sizes.
Notable Mentions
- LG C8 OLED: Excellent OLED TV, but the B8 is just as good for less. See our review
- Samsung Q90/Q90R QLED: Excellent TV for watching sports, but still very expensive and not worth the price difference over the Vizio PQ65-F1. See our review
- Samsung Q80/Q80R QLED: Excellent TV for watching sports, but still very expensive. The Vizio P Series Quantum is a better value. See our review
- Sony Z9F: Great TV for sports, but not worth the price difference over the Vizio for this usage. See our review
- LG SK9500: Great TV, better than the LG SK9000, but only available in 65". See our review
- Vizio P Series Quantum X 2019: Excellent TV, but not worth the price difference over the 2018 Vizio P Series Quantum. See our review
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best TVs to watch sports for most people in each price range. We factor in the price (a cheaper TV wins over a pricier one if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no TVs that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you would like to do the work of choosing yourself, here is the list of all our reviews of TVs. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While no TV is perfect, most TVs are great enough to please almost everyone, and the differences are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.
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