Panasonic, formerly celebrated for its plasma televisions, is exiting in-house TV production. It announced today that the Chinese firm Skyworth will assume responsibility for manufacturing, marketing, and selling TVs under the Panasonic name.
Skyworth, a TV maker based in Shenzhen, claims to be “a top three global provider of the Android TV platform.” In July, research firm Omdia reported that Skyworth ranked among the top-five TV brands by sales revenue in Q1 2025; nevertheless, the company has struggled to maintain that position consistently.
Panasonic revealed the arrangement at a “launch event,” FlatpanelsHD reported today. At the event, a Panasonic spokesperson reportedly stated:
Under the agreement the new partner will take charge of sales, marketing, and logistics across the region, while Panasonic will provide expertise and quality assurance to maintain its well-regarded audiovisual standards, including full joint development on high-end OLED models.
Panasonic also said it will offer support “for all Panasonic TVs sold up to March 2026 and all those available from April.”
Panasonic-branded sets built by Skyworth will be offered in the US and Europe. In Europe, the partners are targeting double-digit market share.
Panasonic’s wavering commitment to the TV business
Panasonic has been vacillating over its commitment to the TV market for more than a decade.
At the height of the plasma era, Panasonic led the market. In 2010, Panasonic controlled 40.7 percent of the plasma-panel market, outpacing Samsung (33.7 percent) and LG (23.2 percent), according to research from consultancy DisplaySearch. Yet in March 2014, Panasonic quit making plasma TVs, citing rising interest in flat-screen LCDs and economic troubles resulting from the bankruptcy of global investment bank Lehman Brothers. Reportedly, Panasonic had not turned a profit on its acclaimed, high-contrast plasma sets for years.
