With TCL’s shipments up 10% and Samsung’s share slipping to 13%, December 2025 saw TCL briefly seize the global TV crown amid shifting regional demand.
Chinese consumer electronics brand TCL overtook Samsung to become the global leader in television shipments in December 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. Overall shipments rose 1.6% year-on-year (YoY) for the month, though the full year recorded a slight decline of 0.13%.
TCL’s shipments increased 10% YoY, lifting its market share to 16%. Growth was driven by strong demand in Asia-Pacific, China, and the Middle East and Africa, which offset declines in North America and Western Europe.
Samsung, which had held the lead for the first 11 months of the year, came second in December with a 13% share. Despite an 8% year-on-year increase in shipments, its market share fell by four percentage points month-on-month. Samsung nevertheless outpaced TCL across the fourth quarter overall, shipping 2% more televisions than in the same period of 2024.
Hisense, another Chinese brand, ranked third in December, but its shipments fell 23% YoY. The company retained its top position in China, though the domestic market declined 18% YoY during the month.
Research Director Bob O’Brien commented on this trajectory, saying, “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.”
He also mentioned that 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.
Associate Director Sujeong Lim added, “This expansion appears to be driven by a combination of year-end seasonality and region-specific demand timing. Shipments for any given month can be highly volatile due to inventory adjustments and logistics schedules. Samsung continued to maintain its leading position in the global TV market in Q4 2025.”
