The 6 best TVs for watching the 2024 Summer Olympics
The 2024 Summer Olympics kick off this week in Paris. To get the very best view of every minute during every event, including the opening and closing ceremonies, you'll need to subscribe to Peacock's Premium ($7.99/month) or Premium Plus ($13.99/month) plan. However, to see your favorite events in lifelike detail, with no motion blur, stuttering, or pixelation, we recommend watching the Olympics (or any sporting event for that matter) on a 4K resolution TV with at least a 120Hz refresh rate.
Here are the six best TVs for watching the 2024 Summer Olympics and all of your favorite sporting events:
- Best TV for watching the 2024 Summer Olympics: Sony Bravia 65" Class A95L OLED 4K TV (2023)
- Best budget TV for watching the 2024 Summer Olympics: Roku Pro Series 65" 4K TV
- Best value smart TV for watching sports: Hisense 65U8N 65" Mini-LED
- Best TV for live-action sports snobs: LG 65" OLED Evo C4
- Best TV for casual Summer Olympics and sports fans: TCL 65" Q Class 4K mini-LED QLED (65QM850G)
- Best TV for real sports obsessives: Samsung 65" Neo QLED 8K TV (QN900D)
The best TVs for watching the 2024 Summer Olympics
Our team of in-house tech experts has selected these six smart TVs as being among the very best options for watching any live sporting events, including the Summer Olympics.
Best TV for watching the 2024 Summer Olympics: Sony Bravia 65" Class A95L OLED 4K TV (2023)
Display Type: OLED | Resolution: 4K | Refresh Rate: 120Hz | Operating System: GoogleTV
This is part of Sony's premium Bravia XR lineup, so you can expect superior picture and sound quality. A 55-inch and 77-inch version of this TV are also available. All take advantage of Sony's Cognitive Processor XR to deliver bright and accurate colors, with pure blacks and bright whites.
You get 3,840 x 2,160 pixel resolution with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Also integrated into this TV is an advanced Sony sound system that supports Dolby Atmos using two built-in speakers and two subwoofers. And to take full advantage of the smart TV features, the GoogleTV OS is at your disposal. This gives you quick and easy access to all of the popular streaming networks.
The Sony XR A95L features a minimalist design that draws your eyes to the screen, where billions of colors form a clear, vibrant and smooth image. While native 4K content looks amazing, this TV does an excellent job with AI upscaling to present lower-resolution content with decent detail. Like all OLED TVs, this one also does a nice job minimizing unwanted glare and reflections.
And to make high-action live sports (including the Olympic games) look smooth and detailed, the A95L offers a 120Hz refresh rate. We chose this as our top pick because watching sports on an OLED display offers the very best color and clarity, with fluid action. You'll pay a bit more for this technology and for the Sony brand name, but for many, it's well worth it.
Best budget TV for watching the 2024 Summer Olympics: Roku Pro Series 65" 4K TV
Display Type: QLED | Resolution: 4K | Refresh Rate: 120Hz | Operating System: RokuOS
Roku is known for offering streaming devices that can connect to virtually any TV. These devices make streaming video content extremely easy, since they work with all of the popular streaming services.
Roku also has its own lineup of smart TVs. The Roku Select Series TVs are the least expensive, while the Roku Plus Series offer mid-range picture quality and performance. For the best picture quality, sound and overall performance from a Roku smart TV, we recommend one of the TVs from the 2024 Roku Pro Series.
These are 4K resolution smart TVs with a QLED display that takes full advantage of mini-LED technology to provide razor-sharp detail. Combine this with the TV's 120Hz refresh rate and watching high-action sports is an absolute pleasure. You also get support for Dolby Vision IQ. This provides enhanced detail and more vibrant color to the picture, while Dolby Atmos provides robust spatial audio for a more immersive listening experience.
The 2024 Roku Pro Series 4K TV comes in a 55-inch, 65-inch or 75-inch size. Check out our hands-on review of the 65-inch version of this popular TV. It offers a really good value for the money, since it's chock full of impressive technology and is available at an affordable price. Don't just take our word for it, the TV has earned a 4.6-star (out of 5) rating on Amazon.
Best value smart TV for watching sports: Hisense 65" U7 Series Mini-LED
Display Type: Mini-LED | Resolution: 4K | Refresh Rate: 144Hz | Operating System: GoogleTV
We're fans of the Hisense brand because it consistently does a remarkable job developing TVs that offer high-end technology, packs them with features, but prices them extremely competitively. The 2024 version of the Hisense 65-inch U7 Series mini-LED (65U7N) is no exception.
In addition to a display that's able to showcase bright and accurate colors and plenty of detail, you get an impressively quick 144Hz refresh rate that makes sports, action movies and video games look incredibly smooth - no flickering, blur or pixelation. Picture quality and contrast is further enhanced with the TV's full array local dimming.
Another thing we like about this TV is its maximum brightness of 1,500 nits. This means that even in a brightly lit viewing space, the picture quality won't get washed out. The U7 is also equipped with its own AI chipset that's used to enhance picture quality, upscale lower resolution content and maintain picture continuously. This is complemented by both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support.
And when it comes to gaming, you can access and play online games from popular services (like Xbox Game Pass) directly from the TV. The TV's Game mode automatically adjusts the TV's settings to optimize whatever game you're playing, including console games. For well under $900 you can snag the 65-inch version of this TV to see and hear every moment of the 2024 Summer Olympics from the comfort of your home.
Best TV for live-action sports snobs: LG 65" OLED Evo C4
Display Type: OLED | Resolution: 4K | Refresh Rate: 144Hz | Operating System: WebOS 24
The 2024 version of the LG OLED Evo C4 TVs are a perfect choice for watching any live sports, including the 2024 Summer Olympics. Not only are these TVs equipped with a stunning OLED display that offers 4K resolution and a fast 144Hz refresh rate, but they're packed with other features that make whatever you're watch look fantastic, fluid and authentic.
Available in a 42-inch, 48-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch, 77-inch or 88-inch model, the LG Evo C4 TVs offer 100% color volume and color fidelity, so not only is everything you see highly detailed, but the TV can showcase truly accurate colors with impressive contrast. And when you're watching compatible content, you'll be amazed by the TV's use of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos to further enhance picture and sound quality.
The Evo C4 TVs are powered using LG's latest a9 AI Processor Gen 7, so even if you're not watching native 4K content, in realtime the TV enhances the quality of whatever is on the screen to as close to 4K as possible. One feature we really love is that the TV allows you to watch two things at once on a split screen. And if you plan to use the TV for gaming, it supports Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium, as well as VRR. Built into the TV is a special game dashboard and game optimizer (which further enhances the visuals within a game).
At the moment, this is truly one of the best OLED TVs available for watching sports or anything else for that matter. This is another higher-end, 4K resolution, OLED display with a fast refresh rate that makes action-oriented content look ultra-smooth. It's this combination of technologies, from a well-known brand, that make the 2024 edition of this Evo C4 TV a worthwhile investment for sports enthusiasts.
Best TV for casual Olympics and sports fans: TCL 65" Q Class 4K mini-LED QLED (65QM850G)
Display Type: QLED | Resolution: 4K | Refresh Rate: 120Hz | Operating System: GoogleTV
Thanks to more than 2,300 local dimming zones, a maximum brightness of 2,000 nits, TCL's Motion Rate 480 technology and a refresh rate of 120Hz, this smart TV with a QLED display is ready to showcase live sports using more than one billion sharp and vivid colors. You also get ultra-smooth motion.
For sound, this TCL TV has regular speakers, an integrated subwoofer and offers Dolby Atmos support. All of these technologies are controlled using the Google TV OS, so all of your favorite shows and streaming services are always easy to find and watch. And when it comes to gaming, the display's refresh rate can be boosted to 240Hz using TCL's Game Accelerator 240 technology and AMD FreeSync support.
Meanwhile, movie fans will enjoy clarity, with enhanced color and contrast, because this TV supports Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG to provide more lifelike visuals. As a result, everyone in your household -- whether they're sports fans, movie buffs or gamers, will discover this TV offers an impressive viewing experience at an affordable price.
Best TV for real sports obsessives: Samsung 65" Neo QLED 8K TV (QN900D)
Display Type: Neo QLED | Resolution: 8K | Refresh Rate: 240Hz | Operating System: Tizen
The 2024 Samsung 65-inch Class Neo QN900D QLED 8K TV is truly a premium smart TV and one of the most advanced on the market. In this case, you get a super-thin display with no visible bezel. It uses Quantum Matrix Pro technology, mini-LEDs and 7,680 x 4,310 pixels to deliver a picture quality that's unparalleled by any of Samsung's other TV offerings.
The TV's Neural Quantum Processor 8K does an amazing job upscaling non-native 8K content using a vast palette of vibrant and accurate colors. The anti-reflective display also offers a very wide viewing angle. And for sound, the TV supports Dolby Atmos, Object Tracking Sound Pro and Symphony 3.0.
Regardless of what you watch, the Samsung Neo QLED 8K TV creates detailed and fluid viewing that offers a stunning preview of the future of TV. If you're planning to catch any or all of the 2024 Summer Olympic games at home, this is the TV you want. It excels when it comes to showcasing live sports in a way that's so realistic, you'll feel like you're at the event in person. This is a result of the Samsung NQ8 AI Gen 3 processor that automatically adds depth and contrast with AI-based motion enhancement (which kicks in when watching sports or other high-action content).
The 8K resolution technology, combined with the up to 240Hz refresh rate, showcase more detailed and smoother action than what's ever before been possible on a consumer television. A 65-inch, 75-inch and 85-inch version of the QN900D is currently available. This 2024 model of Samsung's 8K QN900D generates a crystal-clear picture thanks to its superior AI-based upscaling and Neo QLED technology. When it comes to watching live sports, you won't find anything better in any TV designed for in-home use.
If you want to learn more about this 8K resolution TV, check out our in-depth review.
What is the best TV for sports?
First, don't settle for a resolution lower than 4K or a refresh rate that's less than 120Hz. Next, pick a screen size large enough to provide immersive viewing, but not too large for your viewing space. We recommend at least a 65-inch screen, although larger is certainly better. When it comes to display, OLED tech offers the best detail, with bright and accurate colors, but there are other great options, like QLED.
While a 4K resolution TV is an absolute must, if you want to splurge, consider an 8K TV that uses AI to upscale 4K content to near 8K quality. The experience of watching live sports on an 8K TV is like nothing we've seen before, especially with an added soundbar or surround sound system.
We also recommend a maximum brightness of at least 800 to 1,000 nits, along with a wide viewing angle. That way, everyone in a room can catch every frame in any lighting or seating situation.
