A display apparatus is provided that is capable of selecting an external device to which a CEC message is transmitted according to a user's operation to switch input as a device for operation, even when the device is not in an active state. A television apparatus 100 includes an HDMI terminal connected to an external device and is connected hierarchically in a tree structure to a plurality of external devices through the HDMI terminal. When input switching is instructed to any of the plurality of external devices according to a user's operation to switch input, the television apparatus 100 transmits a CEC message of for switching an input route to the external device to which the instruction of input switching has been given and selects an external device to be a transmission destination of the CEC message of as a device for operation.