Multimedia giant Sony has announced that it will spin off one of its more iconic business ventures. playstation Game console lineup. Despite the publisher's phenomenal presence in the world of video games through its PlayStation brand, Sony has also maintained a strong presence in other sectors of the media and entertainment landscape since its founding in 1946. At an early stage in its history, Sony gained notoriety for various forms of electronics, including the TR-55 radio and the CV-2000 videotape recorder.
The media giant continued to grow throughout the 1980s and 1990s, acquiring Columbia Records and Columbia Pictures and merging them into Sony Music Group and Sony Pictures Entertainment, respectively. Along with dipping its toes into the worlds of music, movies, and television, the conglomerate also entered the world of gaming with the launch of the PlayStation in 1994, creating a behemoth that helped form the best-selling console brand worldwide. Its dominance didn't stop there, as Sony acquired CrunchyRoll in 2021 and merged it with the existing Funimation service. Because big companies are trying to become household names in the world of animation.
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Sony's TV brand will be handed over to TCL
Sony has announced a new partnership with Chinese electronics company TCL and plans to spin off its television business into a new venture. Under the deal, TCL will own 51% of the new TV company, while Sony will own 49%, just below the majority stake threshold. The two companies plan to finalize all contracts by March and begin operations for the new company in April 2027 after obtaining formal legal approval.
Even amidst the new joint venture, TCL is expected to continue using the Sony and Bravia brands for future products. Even as Sony moves away from day-to-day TV manufacturing, TCL promises to continue leveraging Sony's “high-quality picture and audio technology.” TCL plans to combine this with its 'advanced display technology' while leveraging its global strengths to continue to push displays on a global scale.
If this deal successfully clears all legal hurdles, Sony will lose its position as a major heavyweight in one of its longest-running business ventures. Sony first established itself in the TV market in 1959 with the launch of the TV8-301, the first transistor-only TV display. One of the first commercial television systems, the landmark Trinitron brand sold more than 100 million units and was a significant advance in color television.
But since the 2010s, Sony has branched out from many areas of its electronics business, including ceasing production of its own Blu-ray discs last year to focus more on leveraging its intellectual property in movies and animation. Meanwhile, while the rest of the TV industry has struggled, TCL has been competing with brands like LG in the TV market by creating more competitively priced displays. The joint venture creates a best-of-both-world situation: Sony can focus on the media it produces, and TCL can leverage Sony's brand and devices to gain a much larger presence compared to its competitors.
