As a TV expert, these are the top 2 models I recommend for the Super Bowl and general sports viewing

Posted by author February 3, 2025 Sports

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The Super Bowl is nearly here, and more events, like March Madness, are on the horizon. With that in mind, many sports fans are likely on the hunt for a new TV to pull off the ultimate viewing party. As a professional TV reviewer, I’ve tested tons of displays. To help you find the best sports TV for football, basketball, and everything in between, I’ve highlighted a couple of my favorite sets that are a great fit for the Super Bowl and other big games.

The Samsung S95D OLED TV is an ideal option for anyone who wants a gorgeous display with key features geared toward sports viewing. Most notably, this set has an anti-reflective screen that’s perfect for watching football in a bright room. It also has wide viewing angles, so you get a great image no matter where you sit. Those on a tighter budget should check out the TCL QM7 QLED TV, which is often sold at a big discount. That model lacks the S95D’s anti-glare screen and wide-viewing angles, but it delivers a bright picture and is available in screen sizes as big as 98 inches.

Many retailers are offering fast delivery and in-store pick-up options, so there’s still time to snag either of these displays before kick-off on February 9. For more recommendations, check out our guide to all of the best TVs and our roundup of the best Super Bowl TV deals.

The S95D’s anti-glare screen and wide viewing angles make it ideal for sports

Samsung 65-inch S95D 4K OLED TV

Samsung’s S95D is the brightest OLED we’ve ever tested. It features a new matte screen that nearly eliminates reflections, making it ideal for rooms that struggle with glare. However, the matte design gives black levels a slightly faded look in direct light.

The Samsung S95D is one of the best 4K TVs you can buy, and it’s an especially good fit for anyone planning a Super Bowl party. This high-end OLED display delivers gorgeous image quality across the board, and its matte screen makes it uniquely suited for watching sports in a well-lit room.

Most TVs use glossy or semi-glossy panels, which are prone to mirror-like reflections. However, the S95D uses a matte screen with anti-glare properties. When I tested the TV, I was blown away by how well this feature works. You can still make out some faint, fuzzy reflections in certain instances, but the TV offers a game-changing experience for anyone who struggles with glare in their room. The matte screen does cause dark scenes to look a bit washed out with the lights on, but this isn’t an issue when watching bright sports content.

The S95D’s OLED screen offers wide viewing angles, too, so colors and contrast don’t distort if you’re sitting to the side of the screen. This is great for when you have guests over, and they’re seated all around the room. The S95D is also the brightest OLED I’ve tested. Coupled with the TV’s pixel-level dimming, this high brightness enables excellent high-dynamic-range (HDR) performance. HDR provides a more impactful image with higher contrast and a wider range of colors. The Super Bowl will be streaming in HDR via supported devices, so the S95D is a great fit to showcase this perk.

Samsung’s S95D is available in 55-, 65-, and 77-inches, with current sale prices starting at about $1,900. You can learn more about the TV in my full Samsung S95D review.

TCL’s QM7 is a more budget-friendly option, and it’s available in up to 98 inches

TCL 65-inch QM7 QLED 4K TV

The TCL QM7 is an impressive midrange QLED TV. Its Mini LED contrast performance, high brightness, and 144Hz gaming capabilities are nearly unrivaled at this price range.

The QM7 is one of my favorite midrange TVs thanks to its solid HDR performance and excellent deal pricing during sales. It’s also extremely bright for its class and available in many sizes, including a whopping 98-inch option. This makes it a great pick for sports fans who want the biggest screen possible.

Unlike the pricier Samsung S95D OLED, the QM7 uses a QLED panel. As a result, the QM7’s viewing angles are narrower, and its contrast isn’t as high. Check out my QLED vs. OLED comparison for more details on each display type. However, the QM7 still impressed me during testing with its rich HDR colors and high peak brightness. Though this set’s glossy display is more prone to reflections than the S95D’s matte screen, you can pump up the TV’s brightness to help minimize this issue.

The 65-inch model is often on sale for around $700, which is a steal for this level of performance. You can also find the extra-large 75-, 85-, and 98-inch options for incredible prices. The 98-inch TV, in particular, is a fantastic value at just under $2,000, making this a perfect fit for people who favor a large screen over paying more to get a higher-end picture in a smaller size.

You can learn more about the TV in my full TCL QM7 review.

Sports TV FAQs

Extra-large TV sizes are perfect for sports since they help immersive you in the game.

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Is a 4K TV beneficial for sports?

Whether you watch TV via cable, satellite, antenna, or a livestreaming service, most sports broadcasts are still presented in a high-definition resolution of 720p, 1080i, or 1080p. Some big games, like championships, are occasionally shown in 4K resolution, but these instances are the exception rather than the norm.

However, all 4K TVs can automatically upscale lower-resolution sources to 4K, which improves image quality. The resulting image isn’t as sharp as a native 4K picture, but it’s still an improvement.

Generally speaking, the question of whether a 4K TV is worth it for sports is mostly a moot point since 4K TVs are now the industry standard. Major brands no longer sell HDTVs larger than 43 inches, so if you’re buying a new TV for the Super Bowl or other sports viewing in 2025, the vast majority of your options will be 4K.

What size TV is best for sports?

If you want the most immersive experience when watching sports, we recommend you get the biggest display you can that still fits within your space, budget, and picture quality requirements.

Bigger TVs cost more than smaller options with comparable specifications, so depending on your budget, you might need to decide between getting a larger display with midrange performance or a smaller TV with a higher-end picture. This ultimately comes down to personal preference.

For TV recommendations across different sizes, check out our size-specific buying guides:

Steven Cohen

Senior Tech Editor

Steven is a home entertainment product expert with over a decade worth of service journalism experience. He oversees coverage around home entertainment products, including TVs, streaming devices, headphones, and soundbars.ExperienceSteven is a Senior Tech Editor for Business Insider’s Reviews team. He is responsible for developing buying guides, reviews, and deals coverage for all of the latest TV, video, and audio products. Steven works with a team of experienced freelancers to establish testing methodologies, test products, and select the best of the best for our buying guides. He also has a background in film criticism, having reviewed over 400 movies and TV shows. Steven studied filmmaking and uses his knowledge of video and audio production workflows to help inform his testing parameters when reviewing home entertainment devices. Before joining Business Insider in 2019, he was High-Def Digest’s Gear Editor. His work has appeared on Ben’s Bargains, Steve’s Digicams, Big Picture Big Sound, and Consequence. Why you can trust StevenSteven is not only passionate about TVs, he is also one of the industry’s foremost experts in display quality. In 2019, he was one of a select number of journalists invited to get a hands-on first look at LG’s debut 8K OLED TV. He was also among the earliest journalists to demo Dolby Atmos and DTS:X technologies for home theaters in 2014 and 2015, respectively.In 2018, Steven served as a judge for TV Shootout, the premier annual display competition that crowns the best TVs of the year. He also attends yearly industry launches and reviewer workshops for new TVs and audio products from top brands, like LG, Samsung, Sony, and Sonos.Steven knows that it’s easy to get overwhelmed by tech jargon and premium prices on high-end gear, which is why he is passionate about recommending quality options for all price ranges and explaining which features are really worth the money. ExpertiseHis expertise includes:

Televisions
Soundbars
Speakers
Streaming devices
Headphones
HDR video formats
Spatial audio technologies

EducationSteven holds a bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of Central Florida.Outside of workSteven lives in Orlando, Florida, with his girlfriend, their dog, and cats. When he’s not covering tech products, Steven loves to explore the theme parks of Orlando and watch movies on his dream home theater setup, complete with the biggest Dolby Atmos speaker system he could fit in an apartment.Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here.Learn more about how we test tech and electronics.