Sony Ends 55 Years Of Television and Home Audio Production in New Deal With China’s TCL

Sony has announced that it has entered into a new joint venture with China’s TCL to transition its television and home audio business to TCL using TCL’s technology and vertical supply chain integration, while Sony will contribute its highly renowned image processing and BRAVIA high-end branding on the new televisions, home audio hardware and displays produced under the new venture, which is expected to begin in April of 2027 after initial agreements are set for March of this year. The joint venture will see TCL hold the majority stake of 51% while Sony will hold the minority stake at 49%.

Sony’s television and home audio business was one of the few pillars of the company that remained after previous corporate restructures that all but eliminated its former VAIO PC business, optical media research and development, various portable media formats and associated electronics, with the only vestige of Sony-produced hardware now remaining in the Playstation division.

Sony is a name held in high regard for its televisions and home audio equipment, but as of today, that trajectory, which included the development of the Trinitron cathode ray tube television, the HDVS production system for analog high definition television, the integration of the WEGA flat tube and shadow mask technology for flat widescreen picture tubes, and the development of LCD flat panel displays into the world’s first commercially available OLED HD and dual display 3D glasses technology is no more.

The Sony that was highly regarded for its hardware and research and development of new media formats has given way to a Sony focused on entertainment production, healthcare, camera sensor developnment and insurance products. The Sony that gave the world the Trinitron television, Walkman cassette player, MiniDisc format, and Discman portable CD players is dead. Long live Sony.