Threatening Samsung’s market dominance, China’s TCL and Hisense lead smart TV shipments globally in Q1 2025, with 87% and 74% surge YoY.
Global smart television (TV) shipments soared by 44% year-on-year in Q1 2025, with revenues climbing 35%, according to Counterpoint Research. This growth was primarily driven by rising demand in China and the rapid rise of Chinese TV manufacturers, particularly TCL and Hisense.
TCL and Hisense more than doubled their shipments from a year ago, closing in on long-time market leader Samsung. According to the report, their success reflects a shift in global consumer preferences towards large, feature-rich displays at competitive prices.
Together, the two brands accounted for the majority of the global shipment increase, bolstered by aggressive pricing and strong domestic momentum.
China played a central role in this surge. Government-backed trade-in schemes and deep promotions from domestic brands helped boost demand.
“Chinese consumers purchased bigger, more expensive TV sets with more advanced display technologies,” noted Bob O’Brien, Research Director at Counterpoint. Revenue in China’s Advanced TV market grew at triple-digit rates.
Hisense and TCL gained market share across several regions. Hisense’s shipments rose 87% year-on-year, while TCL’s grew 74%. Hisense’s share of premium unit shipments climbed from 14% to 20%, and its revenue share increased from 13% to 17%. Meanwhile, TCL’s respective shares rose from 13% to 19% and from 13% to 16%. Xiaomi and Skyworth also reported significant gains.
These gains have come at the expense of South Korean giants Samsung and LG. While both focused on OLED models, Chinese brands leaned into MiniLED LCD technology. MiniLED’s popularity is growing fast, with global shipments and revenue surpassing OLED in Q2 2024. It now dominates the super-premium segment.
Consumers are opting for larger MiniLED TVs over smaller OLEDs due to better value. O’Brien explained, “MiniLED TVs offer similar price points but allow buyers to go much bigger.”
Samsung, once the MiniLED pioneer after TCL’s early lead, has now slipped to fourth in shipments and third in revenue in Q1 2025.
With the largest screen sizes leading growth, 75-inch and above TVs saw shipments jump 79%, Chinese brands now seem to threaten Samsung’s decades-long market dominance.
