Panasonic hands TV operation over to Skyworth, promises same DNA with new scale

Panasonic has announced a strategic partnership with Shenzhen Skyworth Display Technology. The move will see the Japanese major divest itself of its global TV business, on a region-by-region basis.

Panasonic is the latest Japanese brand to align with large-scale Chinese manufacturing and development, to secure long-term competitiveness, scale and supply-chain resilience.

The partnership was formally announced at Panasonic’s European showcase, by Panasonic CEO Entertainment & communications, Akira Toyoshima. Inside CI had a front row seat for the dramatic news.

“Europe remains a key strategic region for Panasonic, with consumers consistently recognising the exceptional quality and value of our products,” said Toyoshima, before confirming that Skyworth will lead sales, marketing and logistics across participating regions, while Panasonic retains responsibility for AV processing expertise, quality assurance and audiovisual standards.

“The new business model change will leverage the power of Panasonic’s core technical excellence in AV processing, quality and service standards with the global scale economy of Shenzhen Skyworth Display Technology Company‘s manufacturing volume and speed to provide a winning formula for the customer value proposition’’

Paul Darch, CEO of Chungwei RGB, insisted that the transfer would not compromise Panasonic’s brand equity, insisting that joint development would continue on top-end OLED models, preserving the brand’s high-perfromance DNA.

Both companies describe the partnership as a strategic alignment focused on quality, manufacturing scale and global development capability, with Europe identified as a particularly important market. From April 1 2026, Panasonic’s Entertainment Division will reintegrate into Panasonic Corporation.

Panasonic will continue to provide after-sales service and customer support for all Panasonic TVs sold up to March 2026, as well as for models sold thereafter, ensuring continuity for consumers, retailers and professional partners.

The announcement follows the recent joint venture between Sony and China’s TCL, which signalled a similar realignment in the global TV sector. However, Panasonic and Skyworth have not described their arrangement as a comparable joint venture, and neither company has provided detailed structural specifics beyond the operational framework outlined. On current information, it seems partnership is collaborative rather than equity-based, although formal details have not been disclosed.

Regardless, the partnership represents a pragmatic response to the realities of modern display manufacturing: high capital costs, rapid panel innovation cycles, and the growing dominance of large-scale Chinese production ecosystems. By aligning Panasonic’s brand, AV processing expertise and quality control with Skyworth’s manufacturing scale, R&D investment and global logistics infrastructure, the two companies are seeking to create a sustainable model for Panasonic-branded TVs going forward.

The continuation of joint development on high-end OLED models suggests that Panasonic intends to maintain technical differentiation at the premium end, rather than fully commoditising the product portfolio.

Following the partnership announcement, Panasonic confirmed that its European TV line-up for 2026 will combine existing models with new introductions across multiple display types: OLED, QD Mini-LED, QLED, 4K LED and 2K LED.

The brand's current flagship, the Z95B, will continue to hold prime position in the range. Also carried over for 2026, is the Z90B. They will be joined by the Z85C / Z86C (available in 55- and 65-inch screen sizes), featuring a new OLED panel. The numbering difference reflects the use of different smart OS - Google TV for Europe, Fire TV for the UK.

New for 2026 are Glare Free screen technologies, including Glare Free Ultra, Glare Free Max and Glare Free on selected models.