Over 2 million LCD TVs were sold in the United States leading up to the Big Game in the Big Easy.
American football fans rushed to buy gigantic television sets during the countdown to the Super Bowl, spurring a double-digit percentage surge in U.S. shipments of liquid crystal display (LCD) TVs in January, according to the IHS Screen Digest Television Service from information and analytics provider IHS. The record-breaking Super Bowl, which is the most-watched TV event in history, was enjoyed by many on big screens.
Approximately 2 million LCD TVs shipped in the United States in January 2013, up 15 percent from about 1.8 million during the same month in 2012. In comparison, shipments in January 2012 contracted compared to one year earlier.
January is one of the most important months of the year for the U.S. television market, when brands and retailers offer promotional prices on larger-sized sets to attract viewers during the run up to the Super Bowl, which took place on Feb. 3 this year. However, the allure of large-sized televisions to U.S. consumers was also enhanced this time by a protracted decline in pricing.
“The cost of LCD TVs sized 50-inches and larger has been plunging since the second half of 2012 as television brands introduced new models,” said Jusy Hong, senior analyst, television, for IHS. “This rise in competition helped propel strong growth for large-sized LCD TV sales during the Super Bowl sales season in January. Shipments of LCD TVs sized 60-inches and larger showed particularly strong gains, with their penetration of the market tripling in January compared to the same month in 2012.”
Among the Top 4 LCD TV brands in the United States, 50-inch and larger LCD TVs accounted for 30 percent of total shipments in January, up from 19 percent during the same month in 2012. Meanwhile, 60-inch and larger sets made up 12 percent, up from 3 percent one year earlier, as presented in the table attached.
The Top 4 LCD TV brands in the U.S. in January in alphabetical order were LG, Samsung, Sony and Vizio, together accounting for more than 50 percent of shipments in the country.
