Argentina sees TV sales boom ahead of World Cup, but best prices were earlier

The sale of televisions in Argentina is booming, with companies reporting increases of up to 70% in commercialization over the past few weeks compared to a typical May or June. This surge is directly linked to the anticipation of the upcoming World Cup.

However, consumers looking to buy a new TV might not find the current moment to be the most financially advantageous. According to Precialo, an application that tracks TV prices online, February presented the best opportunity to purchase a television, with the median price at $600,000. The second most favorable period was during the Hot Sale and Hot Week promotions in May, when prices dropped from a median of $729,899 to $700,000.

Currently, the median price for a TV stands at $721,449, showing a slight increase in June, likely due to the heightened demand preceding the World Cup. Despite this, Precialo notes that specific discounts are still available on certain market segments, rather than a general price reduction. For instance, a 55-inch LG 4K Smart TV that cost $1,636,899 on May 11 is now priced at $1,223,099, a 25% decrease. Similarly, a 50-inch RCA 4K Smart TV saw its price drop by 14% from $682,009 to $587,319.

Industry experts anticipate a shift towards larger screens. Juan Almeida, national marketing manager at Cetrogar, suggests that while the 2022 World Cup was dominated by 43-inch screens, the 2026 tournament will likely see 55-inch models and premium technologies take center stage. Cetrogar has already observed a nearly 50% increase in Smart TV sales compared to the same period last year. Frávega's commercial manager, Hernán Jurado, confirms this trend, stating that TVs with 55-inch screens or larger now account for 60% of their unit sales, up from a typical 30% in normal years.