Over 2 million LCD TVs were sold in the United States leading up to the Big Game in the Big Easy.
The 60-inch offense
Japanese brand Sharp initiated the 60-inch LCD TV market in 2010, nearly monopolizing sales with its low-priced sets. However, as other brands also introduced similar-sized models during the intervening years, price competition started and the market began to expand.
By Black Friday in November 2012, the price war reached a crescendo, with Vizio and Best Buy jointly promoting a 60-inch LCD TV priced at $699—$300 off the original price. Pricing for the Vizio set then climbed to $899 during the Super Bowl promotion, but even at that rate it was still $100 less than the initial starting price.
The same-sized model from Sharp was priced at $899 for the Super Bowl, also $100 off its original price. For its part, Samsung offered a high-end 60-inch set at $1,699, which represented a $1,100 discount.
Promotional pricing of 60-inch sets for lesser-known, second-tier brands was even lower.
The market share of super-large-sized televisions is bound to grow. Such sets are likely to become even more popular in March when television vendors launch new 2013 models in time for another major sporting event: the NCAA basketball’s March madness.
LED shines—while plasma bleeds
Also in January, LCD TVs featuring light-emitting diode (LED) backlighting technology exceeded 75 percent penetration in the U.S. market. That rate is likely to reach 100 percent this year.
While large LCD and LED-backlit TVs are on the rise, sales of plasma sets plunged during the pre-Super Bowl period. Plasma sales are facing a tough pricing battle with LCD TVs in the large-sized segment. For 60-inch LCD TVs, pricing for second-tier brands was actually cheaper than for first-tier brands’ price for the 60-inch plasma models.
