Katarzyna Petru
The year 2026 brings one of the biggest shake-ups in the RTV industry. Panasonic has officially announced a partnership with Skyworth Group, under which the Chinese giant will take over sales, marketing, and logistics for the brand in Europe and North America from April 2026. This is a strategic move aimed at improving the profitability of the Japanese television division by leveraging the vast scale of operations of the new partner.
Japanese quality in Chinese edition
The biggest concern among fans of the brand is whether Panasonic will lose its legendary picture quality. The company reassures: all key technologies and R&D remain in Japan. Engineers from Osaka will continue to design image processors and oversee quality control, especially in flagship OLED models. Skyworth is set to be the "muscle" in this arrangement – providing powerful production capabilities and an efficient supply chain, while Panasonic will remain the "brain", ensuring that televisions continue to deliver images in line with the filmmakers' vision.
We already know this trend
Panasonic's move is not an isolated one and fits into a broader trend of rescuing Japanese premium brands. A similar path was previously taken by Sony, collaborating with TCL. Withdrawing from costly mass production and their own warehouses allows these legendary manufacturers, to say the least, to focus on what they do best, which is innovation. Thanks to the scale of operations at Skyworth, one of the largest manufacturers of panels and televisions in the world, Panasonic TVs have a chance for significantly better availability. Until now, finding a specific model in popular retail chains has been a challenge – that is set to change.
Prices down, service unchanged
For customers, the two most important aspects are: wallet and safety. Thanks to reductions in operating costs and logistics from Skyworth, Panasonic TV prices could become more competitive. This could be the moment when the fantastic OLED screens from the Japanese brand finally stop being a luxury item only for the select few and come closer to those Korean brands like LG or Samsung OLEDs. At the same time, Panasonic guarantees that service support and warranties will be fully maintained by them for products sold until March 2026.
New models 2026 and the technology of the future
As reported by FlatpanelsHD, the future of the OLED line under new leadership looks promising, mainly due to Skyworth’s position, which is currently the third largest manufacturer of OLED TVs in the world (selling a lot of OLED TVs with LG panels in China). During this year’s announcements, Panasonic revealed one new model for 2026 – OLED Z85C/Z86C, while last year’s flagships, such as Z95B and Z90B, will continue to be sold. The manufacturer also presented prototypes that ignite the imagination, including a screen with the latest Tandem WOLED matrix (known from the upcoming LG G6), confirming that the brand is not giving up the fight for technological supremacy. When asked by FlatpanelsHD about a new full-fledged flagship for 2026, company representatives suggested to expect more announcements later in the year.
