Panasonic, the former plasma king, will no longer make its own TVs
Panasonic was one of the last Japanese companies still manufacturing TVs.
TL;DR
- Panasonic is outsourcing TV manufacturing, marketing, and sales to Skyworth.
- Skyworth is a Shenzhen-headquartered TV brand and a major provider of the Android TV platform.
- Panasonic will provide expertise and quality assurance, with joint development on top-end OLED models.
- The new agreement covers TVs sold from April onwards, with support for existing Panasonic TVs until March 2026.
- Panasonic has a long history of struggles in the TV market, including exiting plasma production in 2014 and the US market in 2016.
- This move signifies the near-complete exit of Japanese companies from TV production, with companies like Sony also selling off parts of their TV business.
- South Korean and Chinese manufacturers now dominate the global TV sales market.