Omdia’s latest market tracker reveals that global TV sales “remained flat” in the final quarter of 2025, despite a big drop in shipments in China, one of the world’s biggest markets.
The report showed there were 61.5 million TVs shipped globally during the fourth quarter, more or less in-line with the total number of shipments that occurred in the same period one year earlier. The numbers held up despite a dramatic 25% decline in China, thanks to steady growth in more “mature markets” such as North America and Western Europe, Omdia said.
That meant that the global TV market remained “broadly stable” during the quarter.
Omdia said TV sales in China declined primarily due to the end of government subsidies, making them more expensive in that country. As a result, consumers are putting off upgrades, it said. That said, China’s biggest TV brands – TCL and Hisense – are still doing okay, seeing their global shipments increase by a combined 2.2% during the quarter. According to Omdia, they’re seeing strong momentum outside of China, with their combined share of the North American market rising from 28.6% to 30.7%, even with the complications of U.S. tariffs.
North America remained the world’s top market overall, accounting for more than 15 million TV shipments in the quarter, up 4.7% from a year ago. That said, Omdia revealed that holiday period sales were “softer than expected.” That means there are “higher inventory levels” in the region, which could potentially put a damper on shipments in future quarters.
Because of China’s decline, the Asia & Oceania region was leapfrogged by Western Europe, which is now the world’s second-biggest market overall, with shipments up 3.2% to just over 9 million units. Omdia also pointed to some strong growth in smaller regions, with TV shipments in Latin America & The Caribbean rising 12.5% and the Middle East & Africa up 9.4%.
Omdia said premium TVs were the primary driver of TV maker’s profits during the quarter. It cited the growing popularity of Mini-LED TVs, saying that these will likely be a “core premium offering” for the next few years. However, its OLED TVs that are growing fastest, with total shipments up 8.6% during the quarter. Western Europe saw the biggest jump in OLED TV sales, rising 11.5%. However, Omdia said that OLED’s ability to capture market share from consumers is likely to be “tested as more RGB Mini LED TVs enter the market”.
“Chinese brands have shown strong agility in their growth strategies over the past year. Accessing the US market is more challenging now, but both TCL and Hisense have adjusted supply chains to meet new requirements,” said Omdia analyst Matthew Rubin. “That flexibility comes with added cost, and profitability is becoming a bigger priority, particularly as component costs such as memory rise.”
