Samsung loses to TCL in the global TV market

Samsung has been the number one brand in the global TV market, shipments-wise, for twenty consecutive years as of 2025, when you consider yearly figures. However, Chinese brands, especially TCL, have been giving the South Korean tech giant a tough fight lately. Last year, it was just one percentage point away from taking the crown from Samsung. Well, TCL has finally taken over Samsung in the monthly shipment chart.

According to Counterpoint Research, in December 2025, TCL topped the global TV market shipment chart, with a 16% market share. Samsung was in the second place with a 13% market share. That being said, Samsung is still the leader when you consider quarterly and yearly shipment figures. TCL cannot call itself the leader until it tops the yearly charts. It will be interesting to see which brand comes out on top by the end of 2026.

The research firm’s Research Director Bob O’Brien said, “TCL has been gaining ground for months, and a year-end surge pushed it past Samsung in December. Although it is only for one month, TCL’s shipments are consistently growing on a YoY basis while Samsung’s shipments have been stagnant. If TCL were to gradually strengthen its presence in the premium segment through its alliance with Sony, it could pose a greater competitive threat to Samsung going forward.”

In recent years, the two major South Korean TV makers, Samsung and LG, have been shifting their focus from LCD TVs to higher-priced OLED models. It has left a gap in the LCD segment, which Chinese brands have been quickly filling. Since LCDs are cheaper than OLEDs, they sell in much higher volumes. That's helping brands like TCL boost their shipment numbers. This shift is mainly how TCL is putting pressure on Samsung. However, the picture could look very different when revenues and profits are taken into account.