The long decline of Japanese dominance in the global TV market is nearing its conclusion. For decades, companies like Sony, Panasonic, and Sharp defined the benchmark for consumer displays, shaping the industry throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Their leadership, however, gradually eroded as South Korean manufacturers Samsung and LG gained strength, followed by an even more powerful wave of Chinese competitors. With Panasonic now transferring much of its TV business to China’s Skyworth, another former Japanese champion steps back from a market it once helped create.
What about Panasonic’s ProAV future? Read the full story in this invidis interview with Yousuke Adachi, CEO of Panasonic Projector & Display Corporation.
Panasonic hands over consumer TV operations
Panasonic is entering an operational partnership with Skyworth, which will assume responsibility for Panasonic‑branded TV sales, marketing, and logistics in North America and Europe. In contrast to Sony’s more extensive tie‑up with TCL or Toshiba’s sale to Hisense, Panasonic will retain its trademark rights and continue product development. What changes is the commercial execution: Skyworth takes over the customer‑facing business, while Panasonic increasingly withdraws from operations that have long shifted to contract manufacturing.
The move marks a decisive step toward a potential full exit. Panasonic has been evaluating the future of its TV division for some time, and transferring two key global regions to Skyworth underscores how far the company has retreated from a segment once central to its brand identity.
Professional displays and projectors remain untouched
The partnership with Skyworth has no impact on the digital signage or ProAV market, as Panasonic Connect’s projectors, professional displays, and LED products remain entirely outside the scope of the deal. This stands in contrast to the Sony–TCL arrangement, which had more direct implications for the professional segment.
Last year’s planned sale of Panasonic’s ProAV division to private equity investor Orix ultimately collapsed. The rebranding to Mevix, however, is in full swing: At ISE, the Mevix logo appeared prominently alongside to the Panasonic Connect logo. And all signs point towards the latter eventually dissappearing.
The end of an era for Japanese TV manufacturing
Panasonic’s decision follows a broader pattern that began more than a decade ago. Sharp ceded control to Foxconn; Toshiba’s TV unit now sits under Hisense; and Sony restructured through partnerships with Chinese manufacturers. Panasonic was the last major Japanese company with a significant remaining footprint – and now that, too, is shifting eastward.
What emerges is the final confirmation that the global TV industry has fully transitioned from Japanese to Korean and eventually to Chinese dominance. Vertically integrated Chinese manufacturers benefit mainly from cost-efficient production structures enabled by generous government support, and the ability to compete on price at scales that Japanese companies no longer match.