The truth is that almost all TVs have a discount on Black Friday, because as soon as they are launched, TVs only drop in price. But there are ways to tell the good deals from the bad.

Sure, prices can fluctuate a bit, but the downward trajectory from when they go on sale to when they go off sale about 20 months later has been happening for years.

However, you may see bigger drops around sale periods, making Black Friday and January sales one of the best times to buy. This isn’t necessarily the best time, but we’ll get to that later.

So how do you spot a good deal when there are so many discounts to browse?

Our guide to best TV deals reveals our selection of this year’s best sellers.

Narrow down your options to buy the right TV

This may seem obvious, but when you’re greeted with hundreds of discounted TVs, it’s overwhelming not knowing what you’re looking for. This is where our TV reviews can help.

• Decide what size TV you want and filter. This will significantly reduce the number of options you have.
• If you have a budget in mind, add that into the mix as well, so you only see TVs that are within your price range.
• Make sure a TV ticks the boxes where you need them: you may want good sound to avoid having to buy a soundbar, or if you use video streaming services, a good picture 4K.
• Create a shortlist of three or four so you have options when looking for the best discounts.

You might also be tempted to narrow down by brand, but we wouldn’t because there are good TVs from almost everyone. But if you’re passionate about Panasonic or a lover of LG, then you might as well filter by brand too.

Discover what size TV should you buy for your living room and see the best recommendations for the ideal size of your TV.

Think in percentages, not amounts

Once you narrow down your search, you’ll start to see TVs at different price points. High-end models, especially larger ones, will cost well over £1,000, while smaller, more basic sets can cost less than half that.

When you see expensive TVs with hundreds of pounds lost, it’s easy to assume it’s a better deal than a £400 TV with £50 off. Instead, you want to check what percentage discount you’re getting. A £2,000 TV with £400 off and a £500 TV with £100 off are both 20% cheaper.

This is a much better way to check the effectiveness of a discount, especially if you’re comparing TVs with very different prices.

Take a look at our guide to best TVs of different sizes and prices.

Determine if this TV discount is real

This is where things start to get complicated because retailers can be a little sneaky when it comes to discounts. There are, however, some elements that work in the buyer’s favor, but even these don’t tell the whole story. First, retailers must display the previous price and indicate how long the product has been on sale at that price.

There’s nothing stopping retailers from raising the price right before a sale and then slashing it to make the discount look better, but there are a few tricks you can use. First of all, always check our TV offers page. The offers we present there show the average price of the previous six months, so you can check if the price before was artificially high to make the sale look better.

Better yet, if you’re quick, pick a few TVs to buy, then monitor prices yourself in the months leading up to Black Friday to see if a sale price is good or not.

Ultimately, even though the price before was a little higher than it was a few months ago, you’re still getting the TV at a cheaper price, so none of these deals are ripping you off. Unless you buy a bad TV.

Check out our TV reviews to find the models that are worth the detour.

Choose a TV from the previous year

A sure way to save money is to buy a TV from the previous year. There won’t be many left at this point since, with a few exceptions, TVs only stay on sale for 18 to 22 months maximum, but those that remain will likely be the least expensive.

They’re unlikely to see the biggest price drops, however, and that’s because the price has already been falling for over a year, so there’s not much left to shave. However, if you compare them to equivalent 2024 models, they will likely be cheaper.

So how do you spot a TV from the previous year? Well, I hope there will be a filter on the retailer to choose models from different years, but if there isn’t, you can find out from the model name.

There is always a letter or number in the name that indicates what year it is from. In 2024, for example, Samsung televisions bore the letter D, while in 2023 they bore a C.

Check TV Model Names Explained to see how to find out what year TVs from different brands were released.

Don’t feel pressured to buy

Bombshell coming… Black Friday may not be the best time to buy a television. These aren’t the January sales either. The truth is that the best time to buy is as late in its life cycle as possible.

It’s a bit like playing chicken with the retailer because if you wait too long the TV might go on sale and it won’t come back because the brands stopped making it.

Typically, a TV stays on sale for at least 18 months, and TVs are released in late spring and early summer. So wait at least until March to probably see the TV you’re looking for at or near its cheapest price.

That’s not to say that Black Friday isn’t a good time to shop – the discounts are deep, but don’t feel like you have to grit your teeth and order your basket if you’re not sure.

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