Sony to sell majority stake in Bravia TV arm to China’s TCL

Sony Bravia

• Sony cedes majority control of Bravia TV to TCL in new strategic partnership
• TCL acquires 51 percent stake; Sony retains 49 percent in joint venture
• Bravia TVs to use TCL displays, Sony to handle audio and picture quality.

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Sony has announced a major restructuring of its television business, agreeing to cede majority control of its Bravia TV brand to Chinese electronics giant TCL as part of a new strategic partnership. Under the deal, TCL will acquire a 51 percent stake in Sony’s home entertainment arm, while Sony will retain the remaining 49 percent. The joint venture is expected to begin operations in April 2027, subject to regulatory approvals.

The newly formed business will continue to sell televisions under the Sony and Bravia branding, but will rely on TCL’s display manufacturing technology. Sony, meanwhile, will contribute its expertise in picture processing, audio engineering, supply chain management, and brand development. TCL will bring its vertically integrated supply chain, global manufacturing scale, and cost efficiencies to the partnership.

Sony CEO Kimio Maki said the collaboration is aimed at creating new value in the home entertainment segment. “By combining both companies’ expertise, we aim to create new customer value in the home entertainment field,” he said. TCL Electronics chairperson DU Juan added that the partnership would help elevate brand value, improve scale, and optimise supply chains to deliver better products and services globally.

The move is likely to come as a surprise, particularly in Japan, where Sony has long been synonymous with premium television technology dating back to the Trinitron era. However, the global TV market has become increasingly competitive and low-margin, dominated by players such as Samsung, LG, Hisense, and TCL itself. For Sony, televisions have remained a challenging business despite the brand’s strong reputation.

Sony has already scaled back or exited several consumer electronics categories over the years, including personal computers and tablets, while its smartphone business continues to operate at a relatively small scale. The company also stopped manufacturing its own LCD and OLED panels some time ago, instead sourcing displays from external suppliers.

TCL, by contrast, has aggressively expanded its display manufacturing capabilities. The Chinese company has acquired LCD panel patents from Samsung and taken over Samsung’s LCD plant in China, strengthening its position as a major global panel supplier. Other Japanese brands such as Toshiba and Hitachi have already exited the TV market entirely, while Panasonic’s presence has been significantly reduced.

Bravia has survived largely as a premium brand, supported by customers willing to pay more for high-end picture quality, sound performance, and Sony’s close ties to the film and professional camera industries. Sony was also an early pioneer in several flat-panel display technologies, including LED backlighting, quantum dot displays, and the first OLED televisions.