Not all TVs are good for sports. Live sports are demanding. Fast motion, wide camera pans, sudden close-ups, and bright arenas can expose a TV’s weaknesses quickly. Poor motion handling can make players look smeared. Low brightness can wash out daytime games. Narrow viewing angles can leave half your watch party stuck with faded colours and dull contrast. And lag? Nothing kills the vibe faster than hearing your neighbour cheer before you see the goal. The right television can completely transform how you watch sports.
What’s the best TV for watching sports? Let’s break down the features that matter most and compare top models that truly shine during live games.
At a glance: Best TVs for watching sports
Before diving into the details, here’s a snapshot of the top picks covered in this guide. These models stand out for motion clarity, brightness, viewing angles, and overall performance during live sports. Each one offers something different, depending on room size, lighting, and budget.
| TV model | Motion & processing | Standout game-day strength |
| LG 65″ C5Y OLED (2025) | Alpha 9 AI Gen8 | Perfect blacks with strong brightness that holds up during daytime games |
| Samsung 65″ S84F OLED | NQ4 AI Gen2, Motion Xcelerator 120Hz | Smooth fast action and clear commentary when the pace picks up |
| LG 65″ G5 OLED evo (2025) | Alpha 11 AI Gen2, 120Hz | Elite brightness and cinematic contrast for big, high-impact moments |
| Samsung 77″ S95F OLED | NQ4 AI Gen3, Motion Xcelerator 165Hz | Massive, glare-free picture with room-filling sound for watch parties |
| Sony Bravia 65″ XR8B OLED | XR Processor, 120Hz | Ultra-natural motion with sound that feels perfectly synced to the screen |
| TCL QM5K Mini-LED | 60Hz, Motion Rate 240 with MEMC | Bright, punchy picture that keeps fast plays easy to follow |
| Hisense 55″ QD6QF QLED | 4K AI upscaling, motion enhancement | Bold colour and AI tuning that boosts everyday sports broadcasts |
Key features to look for in a sports TV
Sports content is less forgiving than movies or TV shows, so certain features matter more. Before picking a model, understand why some TVs handle sports better than others.
Motion handling & refresh rate
Fast-paced sports demand excellent motion clarity. Hockey is the classic stress test, with a small puck flying across the rink at high speed. A TV with poor motion handling can make it hard to track the action, leading to blur or judder.
Refresh rate plays a big role here. A 120Hz panel refreshes the image twice as often as a standard 60Hz TV, resulting in smoother motion during quick camera pans and fast plays. Good motion processing also helps reduce blur without introducing strange visual artifacts. If you’re looking for the best TV for hockey, this is one of the most important features to prioritize.
Brightness & reflection handling
Afternoon games and weekend matchups often happen with lights on or sunlight streaming in. A TV with high brightness can maintain punchy colours and clear detail even in bright conditions.
Reflection handling matters just as much. Anti-glare coatings help reduce mirror-like reflections from windows or lamps. For bright living rooms, brightness and reflection control can make the difference between a great picture and a frustrating one.
Screen size & viewing angles
Bigger screens make it easier to see the entire field or rink, especially when you’re watching with friends or family. For many living rooms, 65 inches or larger hits the sweet spot, while 75 inches and up can feel truly immersive.
Viewing angles are equally important. Some TVs lose contrast and colour accuracy when viewed from the side. Wide viewing angles ensure everyone gets a great picture, whether they’re on the couch or pulling up an extra chair on the side.
4K resolution
4K resolution delivers sharper detail and clearer textures, so jerseys, grass, ice, and crowd shots look more lifelike. While not every broadcast is native 4K, many of the latest TVs use upscaling to improve HD sports feeds, resulting in a cleaner and more detailed image. For sports fans upgrading from an older TV, 4K can make games feel closer to being in the arena.
HDR performance
High Dynamic Range (HDR) improves contrast and colour by allowing brighter highlights and deeper shadows. For sports, this helps balance bright arenas with darker crowd areas, making the image feel more natural and dynamic.
Good HDR performance also means the TV can stay bright and colourful during daytime viewing without sacrificing detail. It’s less about dramatic cinema effects and more about clarity and realism during live action.
Best TVs for watching sports
Here are some standout TVs that excel at live sports. Read our breakdown of each one to help you understand what makes it a strong choice.
LG 65″ C5Y OLED smart TV – Only at Best Buy
Quick specs
- 65-inch OLED display
- 4K Ultra HD resolution
- Alpha 9 AI Processor Gen8
- Pixel-level dimming
- Bright room-ready performance
- webOS smart TV platform
Overview
The LG C5Y OLED brings OLED’s signature perfect blacks into a setup that’s ready for bright rooms and all-day action. Its 65-inch 4K OLED display uses pixel-level dimming to deliver incredible contrast and razor-sharp image. From the yard marker to sideline graphic, small details stand out. Even with sunlight pouring in, the picture stays bold and balanced, so you see the action front and centre.
Its Alpha 9 AI Processor Gen8 reads the play in real time, optimizing picture and sound to keep motion smooth and visuals steady when the pace heats up. Downward-firing speakers spread clear, room-filling sound so you can hear the play-by-play and crowd noise evenly across your space. With webOS running the show, jumping between live games, stats, and streaming apps is fast and effortless—no delays, no missed plays.
Great for
OLED sports experience with excellent contrast, smart processing, and a smooth, no-fuss interface for all-day viewing.
Samsung 65″ S84F Series OLED Tizen smart TV
Quick specs
- 65-inch OLED display
- 4K Ultra HD resolution
- NQ4 AI Gen2 processor
- Motion Xcelerator 120Hz
- Tizen smart TV operating system
Overview
Whether you’re hosting a full house or settling in for a marathon of back-to-back matchups, the Samsung S84F Series smart TV is built for game day. Powered by the NQ4 AI Gen2 processor, this OLED TV fine-tunes picture and sound on the fly, keeping motion clean, colours bold, and details sharp when the tempo picks up. The 4K OLED display paired with Motion Xcelerator 120Hz ensures fast snaps, sideline sprints, and replay angles stay smooth and easy to follow.
Sound keeps pace with the action. Active Voice Amplifier Pro cuts through crowd noise so commentary stays clear, while Adaptive Sound Pro automatically balances audio based on what’s happening on screen. Tizen OS ties it all together with a clean, responsive interface that makes jumping between live games, highlights, and streaming apps quick and effortless.
Great for
High-energy OLED experience with smooth motion, clear commentary, and a smart interface that keeps the game front and centre.
LG 65″ G5 OLED smart TV
Quick specs
- 65-inch OLED evo display
- 4K Ultra HD resolution
- Alpha 11 AI Processor Gen2
- 120Hz refresh rate
- Dolby Vision with Brightness Booster Max
- webOS smart TV platform
Overview
The LG evo G5 is built for big moments and bigger plays. Its 65-inch OLED display uses over 8.3 million self-lit pixels to deliver perfect blacks, vivid colour, and incredible detail that makes every drive feel cinematic. Thanks to the Alpha 11 AI Processor Gen2, the TV enhances picture quality in real time as you watch intense action from kickoff to the final whistle.
A 120Hz refresh rate ensures smooth motion during fast-paced plays, while Dolby Vision and Brightness Booster Max add depth and intensity to every scene—even in bright rooms. Downward-firing speakers provide immersive sound that fills the space, making big plays feel larger than life.
Great for
Premium, wall-ready OLED TV with elite brightness, ultra-smooth motion, and a truly cinematic game-day presentation.
Samsung 77″ S95F Series OLED Tizen smart TV
Quick specs
- 77-inch OLED display
- 4K Ultra HD resolution
- NQ4 AI Gen3 processor
- 120Hz refresh rate
- Motion Xcelerator 165Hz
- OLED HDR Pro
- Glare-free screen technology
- 70W built-in speaker system
- Tizen OS
Overview
Turn every game into a main event with this massive Samsung OLED TV. It’s powered by the NQ4 AI Gen3 processor, delivering razor-sharp 4K visuals with OLED HDR Pro for deep blacks, bright highlights, and rich colours that make the action pop. Are you an American football fan? Its 120Hz refresh rate paired with Motion Xcelerator 165Hz keeps quick snaps and end-around runs smooth and blur-free.
The glare-free screen keeps the picture clear from every seat, even during daytime kickoffs. And with a built-in 70W speaker system, the sound hits hard, pulling everyone into the action.
Great for
Bold, big-screen experience for game day—perfect for bright rooms, packed watch parties, and anyone chasing a true stadium-style experience.
Sony Bravia 65″ XR8B Series OLED smart Google TV
Quick specs
- 65-inch OLED display
- 4K Ultra HD resolution
- XR processor
- Acoustic Surface Audio+
- Google TV OS
Overview
With this Sony Bravia OLED TV, turn your living room into a front-row seat. Its 65-inch 4K OLED screen uses over eight million self-lit pixels to deliver deep blacks, brilliant highlights, and rich colour that makes every jersey and crowd shot pop. HDR technology reveals detail in both bright and dark scenes, while the XR Processor enhances contrast, colour, and clarity in real time to keep the picture looking bold and lifelike.
Easily follow the play when things get hectic; fast-paced action stays fluid thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate and XR OLED Motion. Acoustic Surface Audio+ takes the experience up a notch by turning the screen itself into the speaker, so the sound feels perfectly synced. Google TV ties it all together with quick access to live TV, sports apps, and streaming—ready whenever the next game starts.
Great for
Immersive, stadium-style experience with vibrant OLED visuals, smooth motion, and sound that feels like it’s coming straight from the action.
TCL QM5K Series Mini-LED smart Google TV
Quick specs
- 50-inch QD Mini-LED display
- 4K Ultra HD resolution
- Quantum Dot colour technology
- 60Hz refresh rate
- Motion Rate 240 with MEMC frame insertion
- Google TV smart platform
Overview
The TCL QM5K Series brings big game energy to a more compact setup. Its 50-inch 4K Mini-LED display combines quantum dot colour with up to 300 local dimming zones, delivering bright, punchy visuals that hold up during daytime games. Strong contrast and deep blacks help every play stand out—drive after drive.
Motion stays smooth thanks to a 60Hz refresh rate supported by Motion Rate 240 with MEMC frame insertion, keeping fast sequences easy to follow. HDR Pro+ support, including Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+, enhances detail and colour, while Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual:X add immersive sound that fills the room. Google TV keeps everything organized and easy to access, so you’re always ready for the next game.
Great for
High-energy sports TV with strong brightness, smooth motion, and premium picture features in a smaller, party-friendly size.
Hisense 55″ QD6QF Series QLED Fire TV smart TV
Quick specs
- 55-inch QLED display
- 4K Ultra HD resolution
- 4K AI upscaling
- 16W bottom-firing speaker system
- Fire TV smart platform with preloaded apps
Overview
The Hisense QD6QF Series QLED smart TV delivers bold colour, sharp detail, and smart enhancements that make game day more exciting. Its 55-inch 4K QLED display uses Quantum Dot technology and full array local dimming to produce vivid colours, deeper blacks, and improved contrast that keeps the action looking dynamic in any lighting. The 4K AI upscaler sharpens lower-resolution broadcasts; live sports look cleaner and more detailed.
Motion enhancement helps reduce blur during fast plays, while AI Sports mode automatically adjusts picture and sound to create a more immersive viewing experience. Dolby Atmos and the built-in 16W speaker system add punch.
Fire TV OS keeps your sports apps and live content easy to find, with voice control and smart home compatibility making it simple to stay focused on the game.
Great for
Casual and everyday viewing with a colourful, energetic 4K TV with smart sports modes and an easy-to-use Fire TV interface—without blowing the budget.
How we decide what’s best
At Best Buy Canada, curating a “Best of” or “Top X” list is a thoughtful and transparent process. We evaluate products based on brand reputation, popularity, customer interest, and relevance within their category. Our bloggers then bring deep product knowledge and hands-on experience to help identify the best options for you.
Testing goes far beyond unboxing—products are used in real-world scenarios, with our bloggers putting themselves in your shoes to better understand how a device or accessory performs day to day and whether it meets expectations. Where possible, they compare similar models and assess key factors such as design, performance, and category-specific features to offer well-rounded, informed recommendations. For niche or new product categories where broader hands-on testing might not be possible within that category as a whole, our skilled bloggers evaluate the products using every objective method they can.
In some cases, a blogger may not have direct experience with a specific product. When that happens, they draw on broader expertise, such as time spent with comparable items, an understanding of the brand’s current lineup, and its overall reputation. We also draw on insights from Best Buy’s in-house category experts and aggregate feedback from both trusted reviewers and customer ratings to make the best selections.
We’ll always be clear about the basis of our recommendations—whether they stem from first-hand testing or extensive research. Authenticity matters to us. Every “Best of” guide is built on objective insights, product knowledge, and a commitment to helping you make confident buying decisions.
Upgrade your game-day experience
Game day moves fast, and a great TV keeps you right in the action. With smoother motion, brighter pictures, and wider viewing angles, the right screen makes every drive, breakaway, and replay easier to track and more exciting to watch. From casual weeknight games to full-on watch parties, the best TV for sports brings the energy home.
Ready for an upgrade? Check out Best Buy Canada wide selection of TVs. Your next TV could be the MVP of your living room.
This article was drafted using AI technology and then reviewed, fact-checked, and revised by a member of our editorial team.
