Paweł Koper
What happened on January 20, 2026, will be remembered as one of the most important moments in the history of consumer electronics. Sony Corporation and TCL Electronics officially announced the signing of a letter of intent that upends the existing balance of power in the television market. Both companies decided to establish a new joint venture that will take over the entire home entertainment business of the Japanese giant. The biggest surprise is the ownership structure of this venture – it is the Chinese TCL that will hold 51% of the shares, becoming the majority partner, while Sony will retain 49% of the shares.
The End of Sony's Independence
The decision for such deep collaboration is a classic example of a "marriage of convenience," where both parties bring their best assets to the partnership. For years, Sony has been regarded as a market benchmark in terms of image quality, XR processors, and color fidelity, but the Japanese manufacturer has struggled with enormous production and logistics costs, lacking its own display panel factories. In contrast, TCL is now a manufacturing powerhouse, equipped with the most modern assembly lines and a vast scale of operation that allows for drastic reductions in end costs. The combination of Japanese engineering and Chinese efficiency is meant to be a response to the growing dominance of Korean brands and changing viewer habits.
Many fans of the Bravia brand may feel anxious, however, the message from both companies clearly defines the future of these legendary products. Televisions and audio equipment created under the new company will still be branded with the Sony and Bravia logos. This means that for the end customer, the brand will remain recognizable, and on store shelves, we will still see products associated with the premium segment. However, the process of their creation will change – the new company will take full responsibility for the entire product lifecycle, from early design, through production, to global sales and service.
However, we will have to wait a little longer for the final effects of this partnership. Sony and TCL plan to finalize all binding agreements by the end of March 2026. After obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals, the new company is set to officially start operational activities in April 2027. Until then, Sony will operate under the existing rules, but the industry is already watching this move with bated breath, which effectively ends the era of the Japanese legend manufacturing televisions independently!
Source: https://www.sony.co.jp/en/news-release/202601/26-0120E/
