"Could Pose an Even Greater Threat to Samsung"...Chinese TV Maker Tops Global Market After Teaming Up with Japan

First-Ever Monthly No. 1 in December Last Year
Samsung Leads in Total Shipments for Q4
Boosted by Year-End Surge in Shipments
Strengthening Position Through Alliance With Sony

Chinese TV manufacturer TCL has overtaken Samsung Electronics to rank first for the first time in the global TV market on a monthly basis.

Yonhap News Agency

According to the latest Global Monthly TV Tracker by Counterpoint Research on February 19, TCL captured the top spot in the global TV market in December last year with a 16% share based on shipment volume. Its total shipments increased by 1.6% compared with the same month a year earlier (December 2024).

During the same period, Samsung Electronics ranked second with a 13% share, ceding the leading position it had maintained for 11 months from January to November 2025 for the first time. Its market share fell by 4 percentage points from the previous month (17%).

Counterpoint Research interpreted the data as showing that, although shipments in December increased by 8% year-on-year thanks to strong growth in North and South America, the declines in Western Europe and the Middle East & Africa were even greater. However, for the fourth quarter as a whole, Samsung Electronics’ shipments rose 2% year-on-year, outpacing TCL.

Last month, as Japan’s Sony and TCL agreed to establish a joint venture for their TV business units, a sense of crisis has been growing for Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics. Some observers suggest that the OLED (organic light-emitting diode) and premium TV markets, which had been led by Korean companies, could be reshaped.

Bob O’Brien, Director at Counterpoint Research, said, “TCL has been expanding its market share for several months, and the year-end surge in shipments led it to overtake Samsung in December,” adding, “Although this is only a one-month result, TCL is showing steady year-on-year shipment growth, whereas Samsung’s trend appears stagnant.”

He added, “If TCL gradually strengthens its position in the premium segment through its collaboration with Sony, it could pose an even greater competitive threat to Samsung in the future.”