Sony Corporation and TCL Electronics Holdings Limited have announced that the two companies have agreed to move forward with discussions and consideration for a strategic partnership in the home entertainment field.
Specifically, the two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding to confirm their intentions to establish a joint venture that will assume Sony’s home entertainment business, with TCL holding 51% and Sony holding 49% of its shares. The joint venture will operate globally, handling the full process from product development and design to manufacturing, sales, logistics, and customer service for products, including televisions and home audio equipment. Sony and TCL will proceed with discussions toward executing definitive binding agreements by the end of March 2026. Subject to execution of the definitive agreements and relevant regulatory approvals and other conditions, the new company is expected to commence its operations in April 2027.
The new company plans to advance its business by leveraging Sony’s high-quality picture and audio technology, brand value, and operational expertise, including supply chain management, while utilizing TCL’s advanced display technology, global scale advantages, industrial footprint, end-to-end cost efficiency, and vertical supply chain strength. The new company’s products are expected to carry the “Sony” name and “BRAVIA” name, aiming to create new customer value through these branded products, such as TVs and home audio equipment.
The global market for large TV products continues to expand, driven by trends such as diversified viewing styles through growing OTT (Over The Top) and video-sharing platforms, enhanced user experiences enabled by the evolution of smart features, as well as adoption of higher resolution and larger displays.
We Asked About the Professional Line of Sony BRAVIA
Building on its history of outstanding image quality and advanced processing, Sony’s BRAVIA displays have long been a premium line, offering additional professional features and favored by many commercial integrators and end-users.
With this in mind, AV Technology reached out to Sony for a comment on how the partnership might affect its professional line of BRAVIA displays. A Sony representative offered the following: “We consider the two companies to be nearly equal partners; both Sony and TCL will provide steadfast support for the sustainable growth of the new company, to create innovative products that meet the expectations of customers around the world and pursue further business growth through operational excellence.”
Perhaps the upshot will be that the professional line of BRAVIA displays will become more affordable. We'll have to wait and see.
For more information, visit https://www.sony.co.jp/en/ and https://electronics.tcl.com/.
