Sony TV Business in Crisis, Will Hand Over Management to Chinese TCL!

On January 22, the South Korean media "Herald Economic" published an article stating that Sony Group's electronics company Sony has recently decided to divest its TV business and form a TV joint venture with TCL. The joint venture will take over Sony's home entertainment business, including TV products, with TCL holding 51% and Sony holding 49%.

The two companies plan to further negotiate and aim to reach a final agreement by the end of March this year. The new entity will use Sony's existing TV brands "Sony" and "Bravia."

Both parties view this joint venture as a strategic choice aimed at combining their respective strengths to conquer the global TV market.

TCL is trying to move away from the stereotype that "Made in China = low price," and is leveraging Sony's technological strength and brand advantage to enter the high-end TV market, including OLED TVs. For Sony, this move is seen as a survival strategy aimed at revitalizing its global competitiveness by utilizing China's production and cost advantages.

Given the decline in Sony's leadership position in the TV market, some interpret this move as part of Sony's restructuring efforts. TCL is the second-largest TV manufacturer in the world, second only to Samsung Electronics.

TCL's TV shipment volume reached 30.4 million units last year, an increase of 5% compared to 2024. Its global market share was 13.8%, ranking second, just behind Samsung Electronics (16.0%). In contrast, Sony's shipment volume dropped by 14% to 4.1 million units, falling to the tenth position, with a global market share of 1.9%.

Japanese TV companies once dominated the global market, but their position has been severely undermined by South Korea and China.

Especially as Chinese companies' market share in the Japanese TV market exceeds 50%, their local influence has also declined. With a series of sales, Japanese brands are gradually disappearing from the annals of history.

In 2017, Chinese Hisense acquired the Japanese Toshiba TV brand Regza, and Foxconn acquired Sharp. Panasonic also began considering selling its TV business at the beginning of last year.

If TCL absorbs Sony's market share, it may catch up with Samsung Electronics in terms of shipment volume.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1855016179070153/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.