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Sony Cedes Bravia Control to TCL in 51–49 Joint Venture

The arrangement advances Sony’s retreat from low‑margin hardware, pairing its AV expertise with TCL’s manufacturing scale.

Overview

  • Sony and TCL signed a memorandum of understanding on Jan. 20, with binding agreements targeted by the end of March 2026 and operations planned for April 2027 subject to regulatory approvals.
  • The proposed company would run the entire global chain for televisions and home audio, covering product development, design, manufacturing, sales, logistics, and customer service.
  • Products are expected to retain the Sony and Bravia names, use TCL display technology, and incorporate Sony’s picture and audio processing.
  • Sony positions the move as focusing on higher‑margin entertainment businesses as TV margins tighten and competition intensifies from Samsung, LG, Hisense, and TCL.
  • Kyodo reports Sony’s TV sales fell 9.6% to 564.1 billion yen in the fiscal year ending March 2025, while TCL shipped 29 million TVs in 2024 for roughly a 14% global share.