Are Black Friday TV deals actually worth it? They can be, if you know where to look

TV sales come and go throughout the year, but Black Friday and the holiday shopping season are often the best time to find the steepest markdowns. Big brands like LG, Sony, and Samsung, as well as smaller names like TCL and Hisense, are already offering deals on a wide range of products, from premium OLED TVs to entry-level smart TVs. You can even find bundle deals featuring home audio equipment, gift vouchers, and other goodies, so you can have a few surprises when it comes time to open gifts. 

Also: The best Black Friday 2025 TV deals actually worth your time

That being said, stores will often have a limited supply of TVs during actual Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales. If you’re in the market, I highly recommend tracking TV prices regularly and not waiting until official sales start, in case you see a deal that’s too good to pass up. Deals and prices are notoriously in flux during Black Friday, with many sales and discounts ending at specific times, which makes it challenging to get what you need at the price you want. 

We test dozens of TVs every year at ZDNET, both in real homes and at our dedicated testing lab, and will help you find the best fit for your budget and your living room during the holiday season.

Also: The top 6 TVs our readers bought this year (no. 1 isn’t a Sony or Samsung)

What makes a good Black Friday TV deal?

Personally, I never bother to look at a TV discount unless it’s at least 20% off. Anything less, and you may as well pay full price. I also consider what features a TV offers to find the best balance between cost and performance, because wanting to save money shouldn’t mean having to skimp out on features you want for your home theater. Conversely, you’ll want to ensure that you’re not overpaying for features you won’t use. There are three questions I ask while digging through TV offers:

• Is it from a trusted brand, and at least 20% off?
• Does it have decent customer reviews?
• Does it look and sound how you expect it to?

I’ve tested a lot of TVs in my time, and there is no worse feeling than knowing a model is very expensive, even on sale, but doesn’t live up to your expectations. Customer reviews can be a wasteland of useless complaints about shipping, but they can also help point out common issues, such as firmware bugs or hardware failures. Unknown brands offering steep discounts on what appear to be premium TVs can lead to various problems, including defective units, poor customer service, or even scams.

Where to find the best Black Friday TV deals

Almost every retailer, whether online or in a physical store, will offer its own version of a Black Friday sale. And in recent years, a handful have branched out to offer special deals for the entire month of November. This means the days of waking up at 2 a.m. to nearly freeze to death standing in line to save $10 on a toaster are long gone, as you can often find decent TV deals well ahead of official sales events. 

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Retailers like Amazon–>, Best Buy<!–>, and Walmart–> often feature rotating deals on tech categories, and TVs are a popular option. While they usually have similar markdowns on the same products, it is possible to catch better deals or even bundles of freebies if you keep a sharp eye out at different stores. Best Buy often has a price-match guarantee, which means you can save even more money that is better spent elsewhere on your gift list.

What brands offer the best Black Friday TV deals?

Just about every TV manufacturer will offer some sort of markdown on their products during the holiday shopping season, but not all of them will be what I would consider a valid discount. Big names like LG and Samsung often feature steep discounts on their entire lineup of TVs to make way for the following year’s models. Sony also offers markdowns, but they’re never quite as substantial as those of their competitors. In my experience, it’s rare to find a Sony model marked down by more than 20%. Like Nintendo, the company takes a very long time to mark down its products.

Also: The best Black Friday streaming deals 

Smaller brands like TCL and Hisense will also offer sales on their TVs, and usually have some of the best discounts. It’s not unusual to see a premium or big-screen model on sale for 30%, 40%, or even 50% off, making these already budget-friendly options even more enticing. 

While it’s tempting to snap up that ultra-cheap TV from an unknown brand to save big on a home theater upgrade, you end up paying for it in the end. Off-brand TVs, for lack of a better term, are often very cheaply made and don’t offer the same level of performance and security. This means that you’ll have to deal with slow menus, inconsistent app support, and possibly expose your personal data, not to mention nearly non-existent customer support when the app eventually stops working.

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Things to stay aware of while shopping for a TV during Black Friday

While the holiday shopping season can be a boon for deal-savvy shoppers looking for a new TV, it also comes right before the January Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which often features announcements and preorders for updated TV models. Suppose you’re looking to stay on the cutting edge of home entertainment. In that case, it may be better to wait and take advantage of any preorder bonuses and discounts to help offset the high cost of being an early adopter. 

You should also stay aware of platforms that allow third-party sellers to list products, such as Amazon and Walmart. While steps are in place to prevent scam listings, a few will inevitably slip through the cracks. And the holiday season is prime pickings as customers look for deals on popular tech. Always double-check that the TV you want is being sold and shipped by the retailer you’re shopping at (Best Buy, Walmart, etc.) to avoid giving your money and personal information to potential scammers. And when in doubt, you can often find the same TV on sale for a similar price on a brand’s own website. Ordering directly from a brand helps cut out any sketchy middlemen, so you can be sure you’ll get exactly what you ordered.