Sony no longer home of the Bravia as it plans TV biz spin-out to China’s TCL
(2026/01/21)
- Reference: 1768966446
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2026/01/21/sony_no_longer_home_of/
- Source link:
Sony wants to stop making televisions.
The Japanese giant on Tuesday [1]announced it’s signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese consumer electronics outfit TCL to advance talks on the creation of a joint venture that will take over Sony’s television and audio businesses.
TCL will own 51 percent of the new venture and Sony will get the remainder. The JV will take over product development, design, manufacturing, sales, logistics, and customer service, but won’t have to develop new brands as Sony is happy for it to use existing monikers like the “Bravia” label it has applied to TVs for 20 years.
[2]
“The new company plans to advance its business by leveraging Sony's high-quality picture and audio technology cultivated over the years, brand value and operational expertise including supply chain management, while utilizing TCL's advanced display technology, global scale advantages, industrial footprint, end-to-end cost efficiency, and vertical supply chain strength,” according to Sony’s [3]statement on the matter.
[4]Your smart TV is watching you and nobody's stopping it
[5]Sony rolls out a standard way to measure bias in how AI describes what it 'sees'
[6]And now for our annual ‘Tape is still not dead’ update
[7]Today in tech layoffs: Sony Interactive and Expedia
Sony hasn’t said why it wants this deal, but it’s not hard to guess at its motives because industry analysts [8]predict TV shipments will grow by under one percent in 2026 and [9]believe Sony’s market share trails Xiaomi’s 5.8 percent.
Sony seems to think its resources can be put to better use than scrapping for perhaps 10 million TV sales each year, and that it can’t chase down market leaders Samsung, TCL, Hisense, LG, and Xiaomi.
[10]
To understand TCL’s motives, consider that Chinese carmakers have acquired established Western brands to help boost their exports and to help them avoid competing mostly on price. The Register fancies the Bravia brand may help TCL to sell more TVs outside China, and more premium-priced products too. ®
Get our [11]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.sony.co.jp/en/news-release/202601/26-0120E/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aXBdcVep7AKPD7pP5gfSNwAAAAA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://www.sony.co.jp/en/news-release/202601/26-0120E/
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/05/smart_tv_surveillance_opinion/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/05/sony_ai_vision_model_benchmark/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/23/lto_2024_tape_shipment_data/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/27/sony_expedia_layoffs/
[8] https://omdia.tech.informa.com/pr/2025/dec/global-tv-set-shipments-to-exceed-210-million-in-2026-as-fifa-world-cup-promotions-boost-demand
[9] https://www.trendforce.com/presscenter/news/20250806-12664.html
[10] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aXBdcVep7AKPD7pP5gfSNwAAAAA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[11] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
The Japanese giant on Tuesday [1]announced it’s signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese consumer electronics outfit TCL to advance talks on the creation of a joint venture that will take over Sony’s television and audio businesses.
TCL will own 51 percent of the new venture and Sony will get the remainder. The JV will take over product development, design, manufacturing, sales, logistics, and customer service, but won’t have to develop new brands as Sony is happy for it to use existing monikers like the “Bravia” label it has applied to TVs for 20 years.
[2]
“The new company plans to advance its business by leveraging Sony's high-quality picture and audio technology cultivated over the years, brand value and operational expertise including supply chain management, while utilizing TCL's advanced display technology, global scale advantages, industrial footprint, end-to-end cost efficiency, and vertical supply chain strength,” according to Sony’s [3]statement on the matter.
[4]Your smart TV is watching you and nobody's stopping it
[5]Sony rolls out a standard way to measure bias in how AI describes what it 'sees'
[6]And now for our annual ‘Tape is still not dead’ update
[7]Today in tech layoffs: Sony Interactive and Expedia
Sony hasn’t said why it wants this deal, but it’s not hard to guess at its motives because industry analysts [8]predict TV shipments will grow by under one percent in 2026 and [9]believe Sony’s market share trails Xiaomi’s 5.8 percent.
Sony seems to think its resources can be put to better use than scrapping for perhaps 10 million TV sales each year, and that it can’t chase down market leaders Samsung, TCL, Hisense, LG, and Xiaomi.
[10]
To understand TCL’s motives, consider that Chinese carmakers have acquired established Western brands to help boost their exports and to help them avoid competing mostly on price. The Register fancies the Bravia brand may help TCL to sell more TVs outside China, and more premium-priced products too. ®
Get our [11]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.sony.co.jp/en/news-release/202601/26-0120E/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aXBdcVep7AKPD7pP5gfSNwAAAAA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://www.sony.co.jp/en/news-release/202601/26-0120E/
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/05/smart_tv_surveillance_opinion/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/05/sony_ai_vision_model_benchmark/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/23/lto_2024_tape_shipment_data/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/27/sony_expedia_layoffs/
[8] https://omdia.tech.informa.com/pr/2025/dec/global-tv-set-shipments-to-exceed-210-million-in-2026-as-fifa-world-cup-promotions-boost-demand
[9] https://www.trendforce.com/presscenter/news/20250806-12664.html
[10] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aXBdcVep7AKPD7pP5gfSNwAAAAA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[11] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/