CEA: Super Bowl To Move 2.4 M HDTVs

By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 1/25/2008

Arlington, Va. — More than 2.4 million HDTVs are expected to be sold to watch Super Bowl XLII, according to an estimate published in a report by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the Sports Video Group.

In their third annual edition of “Sports and Technology,” the joint associations said sales of HDTVs should generate some $2.2 billion in factory dollar volume this year.

Consumer electronics retailers are expected to benefit further, the CEA said, from increased sales of accessory items, which typically carry higher margins than the sets themselves.

The survey was based on an online national sample of 2,278 U.S. adults conducted Jan. 14-21.

The study also said that 57 percent of HDTV owners plan to go online after the game to view highlights or replay television commercials.

“We have long known that the Super Bowl influences HDTV unit sales,” stated CEA market research senior director Tim Herbert. “We are now finding ties to other technologies consumers use to enhance their Super Bowl experience. This year, 18 percent of consumers watching the game expect to have a laptop PC nearby to check stats, IM with friends or check betting lines. Another 12 percent plan to use a PC in another room to check statistics during the game, and 13 percent expect to use their mobile phone for the same purpose.”