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In one of the biggest surprises I can remember during my time at Expert Reviews, Sony and TCL have confirmed that they have “agreed to move forward with discussions and consideration for a strategic partnership in the home entertainment field”.
The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding that confirms their intention to create a joint venture that will assume Sony’s home entertainment business. TCL will hold a majority 51% stake in the venture, while Sony will hold the remaining 49%.
A global operation with every stage handled in-house
A statement detailing the agreement on the Sony website read: “The joint venture will operate globally, handling the full process from product development and design to manufacturing, sales, logistics, and customer service for products including televisions and home audio equipment.”
It’s a fascinating development, and one that has huge ramifications for the fields the companies operate in. Both brands produce a wide range of products, spanning TVs, soundbars, projectors and more.
Sony is the more established and experienced of the two, but TCL has been making waves in recent years, and manufactures its own TV panels via subsidiary TCL CSOT (China Star Optoelectronics Technology). The size and scope of its booth at CES 2026 were a testament to the lofty ambitions it has across multiple verticals. In contrast, Sony had very little to show off, except its Afeela EV car.
So it perhaps makes sense for the two corporations to go into business together at a time when one’s star is very much on the rise, and the other’s focus seems to be shifting elsewhere. Not that Sony hasn’t enjoyed its fair share of success with its recent home entertainment releases.
Sony and TCL: A TV dream team?
The Sony Bravia 8 II and Sony Bravia 7 TVs both won Best Buy awards in the last 12 months, while the Sony Bravia Theatre System 6 soundbar also scooped our highest accolade. TCL, meanwhile, has consistently impressed by delivering TVs that outperform their price tags in a big way. Its Mini LED TCL C8K, TCL C7K and TCL C6KS all picked up a perfect score and demonstrate that the UK market should no longer consider it as little more than a budget brand.
At this early stage (definitive agreements are expected by the end of March 2026, with the new company due to commence trading in April 2027), a lot of questions remain unanswered. However, it looks like products released by the joint venture will keep the Sony Bravia name alive, albeit perhaps with a more wallet-friendly focus.
The statement announcing the news continued: “The new company plans to advance its business by leveraging Sony’s high-quality picture and audio technology cultivated over the years, brand value and operational expertise, including supply chain management, while utilising TCL’s advanced display technology, global scale advantages, industrial footprint, end-to-end cost efficiency, and vertical supply chain strength.
“The new company’s products are expected to carry the globally recognised Sony name and BRAVIA name, aiming to create new customer value through these branded products, such as TVs and home audio equipment.”
Big news, big moves
It also looks like we’ll see the new company tap into TCL’s considerable experience producing and marketing very watchable large-screen tellies (several models in its range are available in 75in, 85in, 98in and even bigger sizes).
“The global market for large TV products continues to expand, driven by trends such as diversified viewing styles through growing OTT (over-the-top) and video-sharing platforms, enhanced user experiences enabled by the evolution of smart features, as well as adoption of higher resolution and larger displays,” the statement added.
I expect we’ll hear plenty more about Sony and TCL’s planned partnership in the coming months, but before then, we’ve got lots of new releases from both to look forward to. Sony is yet to show its hand for 2026, but usually unveils its new TV and audio lineup around April, while we already know that TCL has the X11L Super QD Mini LED and RM9L RGB Mini LED TVs coming later this year – just two options in what is an ever-expanding home entertainment range.
