Best Time to Buy a TV (and When You'll Overpay)

TVs are one of the most price-manipulated product categories in retail. The same 65-inch OLED will be $1,499 in October, $999 in November, and back to $1,299 in January. The television itself didn't change. The marketing calendar did.

Here's how to navigate it.

The Three TV Price Events That Matter

CES (January): Every major TV brand announces new models at CES in early January. The moment new models are announced, the previous year's lineup becomes "last year." Retailers know this and start clearing inventory. January and February are legitimate buying windows for TVs from the previous cycle.

Super Bowl Season (late January to early February): Retailers push TV sales in the weeks before the Super Bowl. The promotions are real but modest, usually 10-15% off. More importantly, this is when stores move the most volume, so they're motivated to price competitively.

Black Friday (November): The biggest TV sales event. Discounts are real, especially on entry-level and mid-range models. But premium OLEDs and 8K sets rarely get the headline discount. The $399 TVs you see advertised are often models manufactured specifically for Black Friday, with cost-cut specs not found in the regular lineup.

When to Buy by TV Type

Budget TVs (Hisense, TCL under $500): Buy during Black Friday or Prime Day. These get the deepest cuts and the competition between brands keeps prices honest.

Mid-range (Samsung, LG QLED, Sony X-series $500-$1,200): Buy in January/February after CES, or Black Friday. These hit the best price points during model-transition periods.

OLED (LG, Sony, Samsung $1,200+): The timing window is tighter. The best prices on OLED arrive in October and November when new OLED models have just shipped and the previous year's panels get discounted. Buying a current-year OLED at launch guarantees you're paying peak price.

8K TVs: Avoid entirely unless price is irrelevant to you. The content ecosystem for 8K doesn't justify the premium yet.

The Black Friday TV Trap

Retailers create "doorbusters" specifically for Black Friday. They're not the same TVs sold the rest of the year.

A Black Friday 65-inch "4K Smart TV" from a brand you recognize might use a lower-brightness panel, fewer HDMI ports, or a stripped-down processor. The model number will be slightly different from the version sold in September.

You can't compare prices on a model that only exists in November.

The defense: check whether the model number matches anything sold before October. If it appeared in September or earlier and has real price history, the Black Friday price is trustworthy. If the model number is new, you have no baseline.

The Months to Avoid

March to September: Outside of occasional retailer-specific sales, TV prices are at their annual peak during this stretch. New models launched at CES are at full price. Older models have been cleared. There's no urgency for retailers to discount.

If you need a TV during this window and can't wait, look for open-box or refurbished units at Best Buy or Costco. Those are priced below retail year-round.

Tracking TV Prices

TV prices are more volatile than almost any other product category. A model can drop $200 in a week and bounce back. Point-in-time shopping doesn't work.

Paste the exact model URL into Slasher and track it. You'll see the price history, catch the real lows, and know when a "sale" is actually a sale.

For context on how the same dynamics play out across electronics, see Best Time to Buy Electronics, Backed by Real Price Data. If Black Friday is your target, the Black Friday Price Tracking Playbook has the full strategy.