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 of 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 utilising the vast scale of operations of the new partner.
Japanese quality in a Chinese edition
The biggest concern for fans of the brand is whether Panasonic will lose its legendary image 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 capacities and an efficient supply network, while Panasonic will remain the "brain," ensuring that the televisions continue to deliver images in line with filmmakers' vision.
We already know this trend
The move by Panasonic is not isolated and fits into a broader trend of saving Japanese premium brands. A similar path was previously taken by Sony, partnering with TCL. Withdrawing from costly mass production and their own warehouses allows these, one might say, legendary manufacturers to focus on what they do best, which is innovation. Thanks to the scale of operations by Skyworth, one of the largest manufacturers of panels and televisions in the world, Panasonic televisions have a chance for much better availability. Until now, finding a specific model in popular retail chains has been a challenge – this is set to change.
Prices down, service unchanged
For customers, the two most important aspects are wallet and security. Thanks to the reduction of operating costs and logistics by Skyworth, the prices of Panasonic televisions may become more competitive. This could be the moment when the excellent OLED screens of the Japanese brand finally stop being a luxury commodity only for the select few and approach those of 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
According to FlatpanelsHD, the future of the OLED line under new management looks promising, mainly due to Skyworth's position, which is currently the third largest producer of OLED televisions in the world (selling a large number of OLED televisions with LG panels in China). During this year's announcements, Panasonic revealed so far one new model for 2026 – OLED Z85C/Z86C, while last year's flagships, such as the Z95B and Z90B, will continue to be sold. The manufacturer, however, showcased prototypes that ignite the imagination, including the 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. In response to a question from the FlatpanelsHD editorial team about a new, full-fledged flagship for 2026, company representatives suggested to expect further announcements later this year.
