CEA: Super Bowl Stills Sells HDTVs

By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 2/9/2009

Arlington, Va — Arlington, Va. — The Consumer Electronics Association predicted that last week's Super Bowl between the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers would drive the purchase of some 2.6 million HDTV units when final sales are tallied

The association said the expected sales spike will mark the fourth year in a row that the NFL championship game will retain be the top driver for HDTV purchases.

CEA has forecast 2009 to be another record-breaking year for HDTV sales, with 29.8 million HD sets expected to ship, out of a total of 34.5 million digital televisions sold in the U.S. in 2009.

This is up from 26.8 million HD sets sold in 2008. In addition to key sporting events like the Super Bowl, another factor driving this demand is the drop in the average wholesale price of sets. In the past five years, the average wholesale price for an HDTV has fallen nearly 50 percent to $849 in 2009, CEA said.

“Even in this tough economy HDTV growth has remained strong and steady,” stated Jason Oxman, CEA industry affairs senior VP. “Since the early days of HD, sporting events have led the way in high-def broadcasts. Sixty percent of consumers said the Super Bowl is one of their favorite sports to watch in HD. It is no surprise that most Americans would not think of hosting a Super Bowl party without watching the game in HD.”

CEA said that all categories of DTV sales are on the rise. Of the projected 34.5 million DTV shipments in 2009, 26.8 million are expected to be LCD TVs, which will represent the largest segment by display type. Plasma displays will account for 10 percent of total sets sold in 2009.

Overall, digital displays remain the primary revenue driver for the industry, with dollar shipments representing 15 percent of total industry sales in 2009.