Panasonic Will No Longer Make Its Own TVs

Source: Slashdot

Panasonic Hands Over TV Production to Skyworth

Panasonic is transferring the manufacturing, marketing, and sales of its televisions to Shenzhen‑based Skyworth, effectively exiting in‑house TV production. Ars Technica reports that Skyworth is a Shenzhen‑headquartered TV brand that claims to be “a top three global provider of the Android TV platform”【Skyworth About】.

In July, research firm Omdia reported that Skyworth was one of the top‑five TV brands by sales revenue in Q1 2025【PR Newswire】, though the company has not consistently maintained that position.

Details of the Agreement

• Scope: Skyworth will lead sales, marketing, and logistics across the region, while Panasonic will provide expertise and quality assurance, maintaining its renowned audiovisual standards.
• Joint Development: Both companies will collaborate on top‑end OLED models.
• Support Commitment: Panasonic will continue to support all Panasonic TVs sold up to March 2026 and those released from April 2026 onward.
• Market Reach: Skyworth‑manufactured Panasonic TVs will be sold in the United States and Europe, with the partners targeting double‑digit market share in Europe.

The announcement was made at a launch event reported by FlatpanelsHD【FlatpanelsHD】.

Industry Implications

The move leaves virtually no TV production in Japan, as other Japanese manufacturers—Sharp, Toshiba, Hitachi, and Pioneer—have already exited TV production. Earlier this year, Sony announced that it was ceding control of its TV hardware business to TCL【Slashdot】.