Sony To Hand Over Control Of Bravia TV Business To China's TCL

(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, Jan 20 (IANS) Sony Group Corp on Tuesday announced it has decided to spin off control of its home entertainment business, including its well-known Bravia television brand, to Chinese electronics major TCL Electronics Holdings Limited, marking another step by a Japanese company to reduce exposure to the low-margin television segment.

Sony Group Corp said that it will sell a 51 per cent stake in its home entertainment arm to TCL Electronics Holdings Limited.

As part of the deal, the two companies will form a joint venture that is expected to begin operations in April 2027.

The joint venture will manufacture televisions under the Sony and Bravia names, but the sets will use TCL's display technology.

Sony said the arrangement will allow it to retain its strong brand presence in global living rooms while reducing the costs and low profitability linked to manufacturing television hardware.

The company, best known globally for its PlayStation business, has been steadily shifting its focus away from traditional consumer electronics toward higher-growth and higher-margin segments.

TCL, one of China's oldest and largest electronics groups, has been aggressively expanding its global footprint in recent years.

The company has grown into a major budget television brand in the United States and has also licensed well-known names such as BlackBerry and Alcatel for mobile devices.

At the CES 2026 technology show in Las Vegas, TCL drew attention by occupying one of the most prominent display spaces, replacing Samsung Electronics in that location.

Under the new partnership, future televisions will continue to carry the Sony and Bravia branding, even though the underlying display technology will come from TCL.

For TCL, the deal provides access to Sony's global brand recognition and engineering legacy, strengthening its position in the premium television segment.

"We are pleased to have reached a basic agreement on this strategic partnership with TCL. By combining the expertise of our two companies, we aim to create new customer value in home entertainment and deliver an even more compelling viewing experience to customers around the world," Kimio Maki, President and CEO of Sony Corporation said.

"We believe that our strategic partnership with Sony is a unique opportunity to combine the strengths of both Sony and TCL and build a solid foundation for sustainable growth,” DU Juan, Chairman of TCL Electronics Holdings Limited said.

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