The best TVs for Super Bowl 2022
Super Bowl 2022 is just weeks away. And if you spent the holiday season window-shopping for the new TV you still haven’t purchased, worry not, because the best excuse ever to get into a big and beautiful new panel has arrived. The annual sporting event often brings monstrous TV sales, making now a great time to lay down the dough. Oh, and it makes watching the big game an epic experience.
But hold up a second, friend. Oftentimes, events like Black Friday and the Super Bowl bring about dirt-cheap TVs. Sure, they may be from reputable manufacturers, but in most cases, cheap TV prices translate directly to quality. And trust us: Saving a few bucks isn’t worth a lackluster picture, especially when the screen you’re looking at is enormous.
Instead, we urge you to stick with our recommendations for the best TVs for the Super Bowl. The following sets are all great for watching the Super Bowl on and will make for excellent everyday viewing after the big game, too. But first, some details.
When is the Super Bowl?
This year’s Super Bowl takes place on February 13 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles with an expected kickoff at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. Broadcast rights are being handled by NBC, which means in order to watch or stream, you’ll need access to your local NBC affiliate.
If you’re not paying for cable, you can still stream the Bowl through paid subscriptions with Peacock, Hulu + Live TV, FuboTV, and a host of other apps. If you’d rather bypass the Internet altogether, you could always nab an over-the-air antenna to try and grab your region’s NBC-affiliate broadcast instead.
Best TVs for the Super Bowl at a glance
Good: Vizio 70-inch M6 Class
Why you should buy it: You want the biggest screen possible for the Super Bowl, but don’t want to break the bank.
Who it’s for: Those looking for a balance of good picture and fun add-ons, along with a lower price.
Why we picked the Vizio 70-inch M6 Class:
Vizio has swiftly risen through the TV ranks over the last decade. In fact, we’d say it’s in the top five when it comes to reputable TV brands. With Vizio TVs, you’ll often pay much less for a bigger set, but without a huge loss in quality or features. Such is the case with the Vizio 7o-inch M6 Class, a great 4K big-screen Super Bowl TV that, at just $700, isn’t going to bankrupt you.
The picture features are front and center with the M6 Class. Quantum Color with full-array backlighting and Vizio’s Active Pixel Tuning is a surefire recipe for an incredible picture. Watching the Super Bowl, you’ll notice a vibrant array of colors, as well as detailed and active contrast changes (especially as nightfall sets in and the stadium lights up), and the TV’s Dynamic Motion Rate 120 is perfect for keeping motion blur to a minimum as players dart up and down the field.
The fun doesn’t stop there, though. With Vizio SmartCast, you’ll have access to a ton of great streaming apps from the likes of Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video. Vizio TVs even support Peacock, so you can stream the Super Bowl directly from your local NBC affiliate (you’ll need a paid Peacock subscription). Apple fanboys can rejoice, too, for the Vizio 70-inch M6 Class also has AirPlay 2 built right in, allowing you to cast music, photos, and videos from your iOS device to the M6 Class.
It may lack some of the more advanced features of higher-priced flagship sets, but if you want to nab a great set for less than $1,000, this Vizio gem is your best bet.
Better: TCL 75-inch 6 Series
Why you should buy it: You want to go bigger than 70 inches, but still want to keep the cost low.
Who it’s for: Those searching for a reputable set with a great picture, solid smart features, and a big screen for the Super Bowl and other sporting events.
Why we picked the TCL 75-inch 6 Series:
QLED combined with mini-LED lighting is a calling card for crisp, clean visuals. TCL, another brand that has earned a reputation for offering great TVs at manageable prices, brings us the 75-inch 6 Series, a big screen that leans on the power and brilliance of today’s leading lighting technologies. But how does this make it a good Super Bowl pick?
For starters, quantum dot tech means peak brightness and rich colors — very rich. When you throw mini-LED backlighting into the mix, screen brightness and image accuracy get a huge boost in overall response time and uniformity. Watching the game, you should notice that colors always look sharp and lifelike, and when a big play occurs, you won’t find yourself in a big heap of motion blur. That’s also thanks to the lightning-fast Natural Motion 480 rating.
After the Bowl, the TCL 75-inch 6 Series is also an awesome TV for gaming, thanks to the THX Certified Game Mode, Variable Refresh Rate, and Auto Game Mode, a combined set of features that bring low latency, smooth action, and other fine-tuned tweaks for the best gaming picture possible.
For $1,300, you’re getting quite an impressive TV. But if saving a few bucks is important, you could always opt for the TCL 75-inch 5 Series instead. It’s $300 less and still brings QLED tech to the table, but without mini-LED backlighting (along with a lower motion clarity rating and less gaming features).
Read our full review of the TCL 75-inch 6 Series
Best: Samsung 75-inch Class QN84A
Why you should buy it: You want a big TV with incredible picture tech from a trusted brand name.
Who it’s for: Samsung devotees with deeper pockets who are looking for a stellar set for under $3,000.
Why we picked the Samsung 75-inch Class QN84A:
Samsung is a dominant force in the world of TVs — and for good reason. Thanks to its industry-leading sets with an unbeatable picture, large screens, and intelligent smart features, the ultra-recognizable Samsung name is often one that folks flock to. For the Super Bowl fans of our readership, the Samsung 75-inch Class QN84A will show off the annual event in ways you never thought imaginable.
It all starts with the TV’s Neo Quantum Processor 4K and Quantum Matrix Technology with mini-LED lighting. These aren’t just big-money words, they’re the building blocks of what makes the picture so incredible on the QN84A. Quantum tech means vivid colors and a ton of variation in hues, depth, and volume, with mini-LED lighting delivering top-notch brightness and the best contrast levels you’ll find for the price. Then there’s Motion Xcelerator Turbo+, a performance booster for all things action-oriented, ensuring all the fast, on-field Super Bowl motion is blur-free.
Simply put: Super Bowl 2022 is going to feel lifelike with the QN84A.
We should also mention that the Samsung 75-inch Class QN84A is built on Samsung’s Tizen operating system for all your smart TV needs: Stream the Super Bowl (NBC-affiliate streamer required), listen to music, browse the web, share photos, and more. It’s one of the best big screens that money can buy, and you can take pride in knowing that you’ve gone with one of the very best brands out there.
Perfect: Sony 100-inch Class Bravia XR X92
Why you should buy it: You want the greatest TV ever made, and it just so happens you’ll be watching the Super Bowl on it.
Who it’s for: The much-esteemed TV connoisseurs of the world who want nothing but top-shelf greatness.
Why we picked the Sony 100-inch Class Bravia XR X92:
Full disclosure: This pick is more for wow factor than practicality, but we also know there are Super Bowl fans out there for whom money is no object. With that said, sound the trumpets, for a titan enters the ring. For those demanding the best when it comes to overall size and features, Sony’s flagship XR X92 is the greatest TV you can buy — period. Not only will it be the greatest-looking Super Bowl you’ve ever seen, but watching movies and TV shows will never be the same. You’ll probably want to throw all your other TVs away — maybe your friends’ TVs, too. Add a killer surround sound system and who needs to actually be at the game?
Let’s look at picture tech. The XR X92 brings Sony’s proprietary Cognitive Processor XR into the fold. It’s a highly adaptive chipset that automatically balances color, contrast, brightness, and other onscreen elements to bring you the most realistic picture you’ve ever seen. Combine it with full-array LED lighting, along with Sony’s XR Contrast Booster 5 and XR Triluminos Pro Color, and you’re looking at a set that will make you feel like you’ve got actual seats at SoFi Stadium.
Oh, and did we mention you’re also getting Sony’s XR Motion Clarity? Designed specifically for dealing out the smoothest-looking motion clarity for sports, gaming, action films, and more, it will make you completely forget that motion blur even exists.
The Sony 100-inch Class Bravia XR X92 is an incredible smart TV, too. With Google TV, AirPlay 2, and Google Assistant built right in, you’ll be able to access all your favorite streaming content without even lifting a finger. Just ask Google to fire up your favorite show (internet connection required).
A mind-blowing projector: Hisense 120L5F Short Throw Projector
Why you should buy it: You need a screen that’s so big that even the largest TV sizes won’t compare.
Who it’s for: Those looking for a stellar TV alternative with industry-leading picture and features.
Why we picked the Hisense 120L5F Short Throw Projector:
Want to push the envelope when it comes to screen size? Beyond the 100-inch TV panels of the world, your options are going to start dwindling — and picture quality matters more than ever once you start getting into gargantuan displays. Trust us, if you’re looking at a cheaper set, a big screen will spotlight imperfections more than ever. If you’ve got to go as big as big can get, we recommend going with a projector instead.
The Hisense 120L5F Short Throw Projector is priced on the higher side, but for plenty of good reasons. For starters, this is actually a huge bundle package. Not only do you get a 4K laser projector, but you also get a 120-inch screen and integrated 30-watt speakers that are on par with the average soundbar. That’s a complete home theater in a box. But let’s talk more about the amazing projector itself.
The 120L5F delivers 2,700 ANSI lumens from an array of X-fusion laser lights, UHD resolution, and HDR10 and HLG decoding. Sure, this year’s Super Bowl isn’t being broadcast in 4K or HDR, but that doesn’t mean that 4K upscaling, combined with the bright, responsive lumen output, isn’t going to deliver a slam-dunk picture. Trust us: The Super Bowl and all other sporting events are going to look great.
And because it’s a short-throw projector, you’ll be able to place it right below the screen — so no worrying about how you’re going to mount it.
The Hisense 120L5F Short Throw Projector is also loaded with inputs (four HDMI ports, two Ethernet, two USB, RF antenna, digital optical, and analog audio) and an intuitive Android TV smart platform that features built-in Google Assistant support.
An affordable projector: Epson Home Cinema 880
Why you should buy it: It’s capable of throwing a picture up to 320 inches at true HD resolution, and it’s less than $600.
Who it’s for: Those who really love the Super Bowl, but not enough to drop serious cash on a projector.
Why we picked the Epson H0me Cinema 880 Projector:
Maybe you don’t have a great TV and maybe you don’t want to crack into your savings to buy a new one, but you do want to feel the pigskin flying past your face with as big a picture as possible to maximize your enjoyment of Super Bowl 2022. The Epson Home Cinema 880 is the affordable, quality projector to help you do just that.
It’s capable of projecting a Full HD image (at 1080p resolution and up to 16,000:1 contrast ratio) on a viewable screen ranging in size from 33.1 inches to a whopping 320 inches. While the Epson 880 isn’t a 4K projector, its picture offers a brilliant 3,300 lumens of color brightness and 3,300 lumens of white brightness for a beautiful and detailed picture. And the Super Bowl isn’t broadcasting in 4K this year anyway, so bonus.
With HDMI and USB inputs, you’ll be able to connect pretty much any device, including PCs, Macs, and any streaming devices you need to access the game on whichever streaming service you prefer. The Epson Home Cinema also comes with a remote and built-in speakers, although you’re probably going to want to bypass those for a better set of speakers or a soundbar.
Depending on where you live and what the weather is like there, the 880 weighs under six pounds and is ultraportable, which means you can set it up in the backyard to kick things up a notch or tote it over to a friend’s house for wings, pizza, and beer while you take in the game. You will need a screen or a clean, white wall, however, as neither is included.
Enjoy the game!
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