It’s that time of year again as college basketball teams gear up for another exciting season of March Madness. Instead of drafting a bracket with all my main picks this year, I decided to put together a list of the best TVs for the courtside craze.
When looking for a TV ideal for basketball — or sports in general — you’ll want to find one with advanced motion processing. Basketball especially has tons of motion, which will require a display that can handle the cross-court action without stuttering and blurring.
Another ideal feature to have for sports is strong upscaling. Although we typically bemoan the ways TV brands are going all-in on AI, upscaling does serve a practical purpose for broadcast TV that’s relegated to 1080p.
That’s what makes these following sets the final four picks and total buzzer beaters ahead of the Madness to come. I’ve listed a few discounts of my own below, but you can always check out our March Madness TV sales for even more savings.
Samsung S95D OLED TV – Premium OLED
There are few if any other displays that can call themselves the stand-out picks among the best OLED TVs, but the Samsung S95D OLED is no doubt one of them. Just look to our Samsung S95D OLED vs LG G4 OLED faceoff to see the victor, it’s clear as day.
Beyond its wide range of features (see: stellar anti-glare coating) and incredible specs (up to 1,777 nits of brightness in HDR), the Samsung S95D OLED makes itself known as the undisputed king for March Madness primarily for one thing: excellent multi-viewing capabilities.
Here, the S95D shines by allowing you to play up to four games at once. And while the LG states the G4 OLED can do similar multi-viewing, there’s tons of threads across Reddit claiming it’s middling at best — and often doesn’t work.
It’s the best way to watch March Madness, especially while the 55-inch Samsung S95D OLED TV is $1,897 at Amazon right now.
Sony Bravia 9 Mini-LED TV – Premium Mini-LED
Mini-LED TVs are ever on the rise right now and they offer stellar performance at unbeatable prices. It’s not cheap, but the Sony Bravia 9 serves as another excellent March Madness pick due to its ability to offer some of the highest brightness of any TV we tested in the last 12 months.
In our Sony Bravia 9 review, we raved on its improved design and incredible brightness. We measured it at 2,980 nits in a 10% window, which is bonkers and better than many of its rivals.
It also comes equipped with an ATSC 3.0 tuner, which might not be a huge win for the March Madness games right now, but could be for future series. CBS is currently available in Chicago on Nextgen TV, which could mean more major sports broadcasters will join and spread availability in the future.
That being said, it all still comes at a cost. Even at a discount, the 65-inch Sony Bravia 9 Mini-LED TV is $2,798 at Amazon right now. It’s not quite the buzzer beater of a deal, but it will make for one incredible window into the games — after all, it is the king of Mini-LED TVs.
LG B4 OLED TV – Value OLED
Even in the face of the LG C5 OLED and G5 OLED launch this month, I’d still be buying the LG B4 OLED TV for its utter value. When it’s on sale, the 48-inch version is the cheapest OLED TV you can buy — but even the larger 77-inch LG B4 OLED can be found for $1,596 at Amazon.
The B4 excels as a March Madness TV particularly because of its 120Hz refresh rate and natural colors. Like most of LG’s 2024 TV lineup, the B4 is also equipped with a stellar chip (Alpha 8) that brings serious AI upscaling to the platform.
The B4 is a value OLED for a reason, however. There’s several features you’ll be without, namely a good sound system and ample glare mitigation. One of the best soundbars can definitely help in that department if you’re worried about audio.
The bright side here is that you can also rest easy knowing the B4 OLED will see webOS updates for the next five years, even if the new and improved B5 OLED could be the value of the year. Plus, there’s the 65-inch LG C4 OLED TV for $1,496 at Amazon if you want a little extra juice.
Hisense U7N Mini-LED TV – Budget 75-inch Mini-LED
Many TVs from the 2024 Hisense lineup offer excellent viewing potential for March Madness. It’s quite telling given that Hisense is in league with the NBA, just look at its massive 110-inch Championship Edition Mini-LED TV.
But of all its incredible Mini-LED TVs, the Hisense U7N is my top pick for March Madness. Why? Well, it’s got serious value and some of the best specs at its price point. Plus, you can get the 75-inch Hisense U7N Mini-LED TV for $898 at Amazon. That’s a steal and a half, making it the perfect big-screen buy for March Madness.
If you want to take your TV game to the next level, check out the flagship Hisense U8N Mini-LED TV. Though slightly more expensive, it does similarly offer some incredible specs at an unbeatable price. Right now, you can get the 75-inch U8N Mini-LED TV for $1,297 at Amazon.
That’s a slam dunk for an XXL screen with tons of features, if you ask me.
