Choosing the best TV for sports could mean the difference between sluggish players breaking a tackle or a smooth, flowing picture every time. Our evaluation focused on image quality, resolution, and response rate. We also explored remote design and smart features such as built-in Alexa and Google Assistant for voice-command access to your favorite movies and shows.
After more than 12 hours of research, our pick for the best TV for sports goes to the Samsung 8 Series TV for Sports. It is a well-rounded machine, featuring a QLED 4K picture, full-array backlighting technology for deep contrasts, and Q Color technology also claims a billion more shades than your standard TV set. An anti-reflective screen also makes it a great choice to watch in sunlit or high ceiling-lit rooms. For more quality products or alternatives, take a look at our best TVs guide.
Top 10 Best TVs for Sports
#1 Samsung 8 Series TV for Sports
Award: TOP PICK
WHY WE LIKE IT: This best TV for sports features a stunning QLED 4K picture and bezel-free design, making it an amazing choice for users who prefer to blend their TVs into home decor.
- Full-Array backlight for deeper contrast
- Q Color technology for richer shade palette
- Whopping 4 HDMI ports and 2 USB ports
- Lack of remote control buttons; could be more intuitive
- Light lag with the voice activation button
- The bezel-less design may be off-putting to some people
This Samsung Smart TV is a true stunner. QLEDs are generally sharper and brighter than OLEDs with deeper contrast levels and brightness (up to 2,000 nits). Its Q Color technology also claims a billion more shades than traditional HDTV. One of our favorite features is its bezel-free TV, blending right into your surroundings with stunning precision. Plus, it includes Ambien Mode, which converts the picture into a wall frame with light background music when not in use.
An anti-reflective screen gives off the illusion of depth, creating richer contrasts between deep black levels and whites. Kudos for coming with four HDMI ports and two USB ports, which can be used to connect external devices such as Amazon Fire Sticks and Playstation 4. This Samsung Smart TV is the perfect choice for a home theater. It’s a great option if you’re looking for the best HDR TV.
#2 Sony XBR-65x900FTV for Sports
Award: HONORABLE MENTION
WHY WE LIKE IT: This TV stunning 4K HDTV and X1 Extreme Processor for improved contrasts and brightness, a great choice for people who watch sports in bright rooms.
- X1 Extreme Processor for amazing color contrast
- Built-in Google Assistant for voice command control
- Supports HDR 10, Hybrid Log-Gamma, and Dolby Vision
- HDMI 2-4 is located at the rear of the TV
- Ethernet port is only a 100MB port
- Excess Google advertising when setting up TV
This TV’s picture quality is phenomenal. 4K HDTV and X1 Extreme Processor offer deeper contrasts through real-time image processing and automatically upscales content to 4K HDR quality. It also uses X-Motion Clarity technology, which offers a native 120Hz refresh rate to minimize blur and maintain brightness during high motion scenes like horse racings and football scrimmages. For more televisions with high refresh rates and phenomenal picture quality, visit our best TV monitor guide.
Because this is an Android TV, it has built-in Google Assistant, allowing users to playback favorite shows/movies or control smart home devices using voice commands. Its remote control is just as intuitive with dedicated buttons for Google Play and Netflix. Four HDMI ports also make it easy to connect external devices for large families. You might also like to check out our best curved TV buying guide for additional options.
#3 Vizio P-Series PX65-G1 TV for Sports
Award: BEST QUALITY
WHY WE LIKE IT: This TV features P-Series Quantum X technology, 4K Ultra HD for up to 4 times the resolution of standard 1080P, and WatchFree TV by Vizio, a great choice for people who want access to 100+channels and skip cable entirely.
- WatchFree app with 100+ free channels
- Built-in Apple Airplay 2 and Chromecast
- “Spatial Scaling Engine” helps upscale lower-resolution content
- Some users report a noticeable blooming effect
- Off-angle performance could be improved
Our favorite feature with this Vizio P Series Quantum 4K HDR TV is its expansive color range. Made possible by P-Series Quantum X technology, it promises roughly 65% more color than standard 4K TVs. It also carries FALD (Full Array Local Dimming), a backlighting technology that helps produce deeper blacks and enhanced brightness for solid viewing in rooms with heavy sunlight or ceiling fans.
This best TV for sports and video games comes with built-in Apple Airplay 2 support and Chromecast also allows users to access an endless array of streaming content and access Netflix and Amazon Prime with one click or voice command. Kudos for a bezel-less design, which makes it look more like a picture frame than an actual television. It’s a nice alternative for anyone previously shopping for the best 1080p TV.
#4 TCL 6 Series 65-Inch TV for Sports
Award: BEST ON A BUDGET
WHY WE LIKE IT: This TV for sports comes with QLED technology and a near-bezel-less display, all while coming in at a budget-friendly price.
- Bezel-less display for a minimalist look
- High number of HDMI inputs (four)
- Very intuitive remote; built-in Alexa and Google Assistant
- Sound quality from TV speaker could be sharper
- Legs sit too wide apart; may be off-putting to some people
While researching this TV, we were enthralled at its vivid and sharp picture. QLED really hits a deeper set of blacks and purer whites, perfect if you pay high attention to detail. A 120Hz refresh rate also allows no noticeable blue with high-speed motion. This set supports multiple HDR formats, including HDR10 and Dolby Vision HDR, each carrying their own levels of color depth (68.7 billion for Dolby; 1.07 billion for HDR10), definitely different to the discerning eye.
A healthy number of HDMI inputs (four) makes it a great option for your living room, making it easy to connect a PlayStation 4, Blu-ray player, and an Amazon Fire Stick at once. Kudos for a simplified and highly intuitive remote, making it one of the best TV for seniors on our list.
#5 Sony XBR65A8F TV for Sports
Award: BEST SOUND
WHY WE LIKE IT: This TV comes with an OLED screen and Acoustic Surface technology, which emits sound using the entire screen – a great choice for audiophiles who want to hear cracking bones from football tackles in all their glory.
- Acoustic Surface tech for enhanced audio
- 8 million self-illuminating pixels for a brighter picture & excellent reflection handling
- Built-in Alexa and Google Assistant for easy voice commands
- Menu transitions could be faster
This best TV for watching sports shines with an X1 Extreme Processor and OLED for 8 million self-illuminating pixels of deep contrasts and vivid colors. Its processor also works to upscale tons of content to close to 4k HDR quality, including your standard broadcast channels. Plus, it comes in three of the most popular HDR formats (HDR 10, Hybrid Log-Gamma, and Dolby Vision.
This TV’s biggest strength lies in its Acoustic Surface technology, which uses four back panel actuators to convert the entire screen into a sound source. This produces a much crisper and clearer sound on part with an external Sonos or Sony soundbar. Kudos for coming with equalizer and surround settings to make it easy to adjust, making it the best sounding TV on our list.
#6 Samsung Q80T QLED TV for Sports
Award: BEST FOR BRIGHT ROOMS
WHY WE LIKE IT: This best TV for sports features Quantum DOT technology for an even wider color palette (over a billion shades of colors) and Direct Full Array technology, a great choice for sports watchers who often find themselves in bright rooms.
- Incredibly billion+ color palette
- Near bezel-less design blends well into the background
- Minimalist and eye-catching Ambient Mode to double as a picture frame
- Clunky menu system
- Built-in speakers could offer better sound quality
Our favorite feature with this best TV for sports is its captivating display. Quantum Dot technology produces over a billion shades of color. It’s also a perfect TV for bright rooms, as it carries an anti-reflective surface and uses Direct Full Array technology, which consists of a series of backlights to create even richer contrasts between blacks and whites. This translates to a brighter image, even in bright rooms. What a way to watch your favorite sports and streaming services.
Kudos for this Samsung’s Ambient Mode, which converts this near-bezel-less TV into a somewhat moving frame with rotating screen savers and random information. Although we love it for sports watching, it wouldn’t be a bad fit in a doctor’s office or gym as an exercise monitor. For all of these reasons, we’ve designated it the best TV for bright rooms on our list.
#7 Sony A8H OLED TV for Sports
Award: BEST HIGH TECH
WHY WE LIKE IT: This best TV for sports comes with tons of integration options, including built-in Google Assistant, Alexa, Apple Airplay 2, and Homekit, making it a great choice for people who want to control tons of smart devices from their TVs.
- Pixel contrast booster for super-sharp picture
- Compatible with multiple smart services
- Super slim, narrow aluminum bezel design that blends easily
- Auto-dimming feature not intuitive to use
- The screen is not anti-reflective; doesn’t perform well in bright rooms
This best TV for sports bar is dynamite with its display, featuring an OLED screen and pixel contrast booster that controls millions of individual pixels for even greater depth and contrasts between different shades of the same color. While testing, we noticed a slight difference between standard OLED and OLED with its pixel contrast booster.
Besides the outstanding feature, arguably this TV’s biggest strength is in its support for smart services, including Google Assistant, Alexa, Apple Airplay 2, and Homekit. This allows users to voice command and control smart home devices and stream content from multiple providers. All in all, we were also very impressed with menu responsiveness and quick transitions. If you’re looking for an option for your bedroom, check out our best TV for bedrooms buying guide.
#8 Sony X950H Curved TV
Award: BEST VALUE
WHY WE LIKE IT: This TV uses an X1 Ultimate Processor for a super bright screen and Full-Array LED with local dimming technology, which bodes great for people watching in bright rooms.
- X1 Ultimate Processor for improved brightness
- 120Hz native refresh rate for smooth action.
- Built-in Alexa and Google Assistant for easy voice commands
- Remote could be more durable
- Some users reported audio drops-outs when streaming
This TV’s biggest strength lies in the X1 Ultimate Processor, which really helps improved brightness and contrasts with deeper shades of blacks and purer whites. A native 120Hz motion refresh rate also ensures no noticeable blur, important when watching MMA fighters perform a double leg takedown or a basketball team initiative a fast break out of the blocks. Every flailing limb will not be missed with this
Kudos for being compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Android TV which allows for voice control of smart home devices and quick flipping between your favorite movies and shows without touching a remote.
#9 LG Electronics OLED55C7P TV for Sports
Award: BEST REMOTE
WHY WE LIKE IT: This TV comes with an intuitive, easy-to-use universal remote, OneRemote, along with a whopping 4 HDMI and 3 USB inputs, making it a great choice as a home theater television supporting a Playstation 4, Blu-ray player, and other devices for larger households.
- Multiple inputs and easy device pairing
- OLED display with deep blacks and wide color gamut
- High intuitive Magic Remote eliminates button mashing
- Not the best performance in bright rooms
This best TV for sports is a head-turner. Its OLED display is very sharp, sporting a wide color gamut that creates tighter contrasts between deep blacks and purer whites. It also supports various HDR formats, including Dolby Vision, which boasts a broader range of colors than HDR and HDR10+ for the best picture possible. Viewing angles are phenomenal, with equal sharpness from opposite sides of the screen.
We are big fans of LG’s usability. Its native app server beautifully displays your favorite movies and TV shows. A Magic Remote also acts as a mouse pointer, which makes it easier and faster to flip between content. All in all, we were very impressed with this TV’s overall value. If you’re interested in something for your patio, our best outdoor TV buying guide has many good options.
#10 LG CX OLED TV for Sports
Award: BEST FOR GAMING
WHY WE LIKE IT: This best TV for sports comes with a super sharp OLED display and NVIDIA G-SYNC and FreeSync technology, helping boast refresh rates and making it an excellent choice for gamers.
- Nvidia G-Sync and FreeSync compatible
- Intuitive webOS menu system; easy to find movies and shows
- Minimalist design with a very thin frame
- Burn-in (temporary image retention) may be an issue with heavy use
- Remote could be simplified
Our favorite feature on this TV is its α9 GEN 3 AI processor, which renders images beautifully. It also helps upscale 1080p content to 4K and supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision. The NVIDIA G-SYNC and FreeSync technology also produce true-to-life gaming with no blur in high motion. Its refresh rate (120Hz) shines and the gameplay is very on point.
Another killer detail on this best TV for sports is its WebOS intuitive, which offers an intuitive menu system, making it easier to find movies and shows. Four HDMI ports also make it easy to plug virtually any device needed – a great choice for a home theater or living room. It’s one of the best smart TV for streaming options on our list.
How We Decided
In determining the best TV for sports to buy, we explored response rate, and resolution.
Resolution is a very important factor when choosing the best TV for sports. Resolution refers to the number of pixels on the display. The higher the number of pixels, the greater the detail. At a minimum, look for 4K TVs, which quadruple the number of pixels as standard HDTV screens. If you want an upgrade, consider an OLED TV, QLED TV, and 8K. However, as of the time of this writing, content running on this resolution is very limited.
The best TV for sports’ response rate is very important. Even the best TV for sports under $1000 or a similar price range is capable of this. It is the speed of processing of an image per second. The higher the number, the smoother the picture. Look for a minimum 120Hz response rate. Any less and you will detect a notable blue from time to time.
Another important factor with the best TVs for sports is Smart features and an intuitive UI. Built-in Wifi for Smart TV compatibility is a must to access favorite sports-oriented programs, such as the ESPN app with live sports and coverage. Kudos to intuitive UIs such as Samsung’s SmartHub and the Roku TV platform, all offering easy to navigate menus and voice-controlled access to content.
Best TV for Sports Buyer’s Guide
The Most Important Features to Consider
- Image Quality
Our recommendation is for the best TV for sports with a minimum 4K, or Ultra HD range, which offers a wide color gamut and contrasts. OLED, QLED, and 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160 pixels) offer superior image quality over standard 1080p HD televisions (1920 x 1080 pixels). Image quality is also helped by full array dimming technology, which consists of a series of individual LEDs behind LCD panels that help increase contrast ratio and optimize HDR content to make it look even better. - Response Rate
The response rate is superbly important. Also referred to as the speed of processing, it ensures no motion blur and jerking when watching a player or ball fly across the screen. Look for a minimum refresh rate of 120Hz. Anything less and you may detect a noticeable lag from time to time. - Resolution
The higher the resolution, the richer the contrast ratios and the sharper the image due to the increased number of pixels on the display. As a general rule, opt for TVs for a 4K resolution of better. Full HD or 1080p sets are yesterday’s technology and they simply do not look as good.
