CEA: Super Bowl Drives HDTV Sales

One in five say big game drove purchase of sets

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/31/2013 10:53:57 AM

It will come as no surprise to football fans, but a just-released study from the Consumer Electronics Association found that 22% of those surveyed said they bought an HDTV for the express purpose of watching the Super Bowl.

The Sports & Technology Study also found that 79% of those surveyed said they were football fans, with baseball sliding into second at 53%.

"Sports events, namely the Super Bowl, continue to drive significant TV sales every year," Kevin Tillmann, senior research analyst at CEA, said in a statement. And that interest extends beyond the sets. "One quarter of online U.S adults that subscribe to cable, satellite or fiber-to-home television service currently pay extra to subscribe to a premium sports package," he said.