While the global TV market remains stagnant, the premium organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TV segment was the only bright spot, sustaining double-digit growth. In the liquid crystal display (LCD) TV market, South Korea’s Samsung Electronics and China’s TCL are locked in a neck-and-neck battle for the top spot, separated by just 0.1 percentage point.

According to market research firm Counterpoint Research on August 18, global TV shipments in the second quarter of this year fell 0.4% year-over-year, effectively flat. June shipments declined 4% compared with the same month last year. However, this was attributed primarily to World Cup promotions pulling purchase demand forward into April, rather than weakening underlying demand.

By brand, Philips, Samsung Electronics, and TCL posted shipment growth in June, while Hisense, Huawei, and Changhong delivered lackluster results. Philips reportedly boosted shipments by launching new OLED TVs such as the OLED811 and OLED761, along with the PQS9001, a mid-range quantum dot (QD) LCD TV, across key screen sizes.

LCD TV: Samsung and TCL in a 0.1-point slugfest

Competition at the top of the LCD TV market has intensified further. In June, TCL held a 13.8% share of global LCD TV shipments, while Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) recorded 13.7%, narrowing the gap to just 0.1 percentage point. Given that TCL has overtaken Samsung on previous occasions, the two companies continue to trade the lead position back and forth.

Samsung Electronics has expanded its lineup with new mini-LED models including the M80H and M70H, as well as the S95H and R95H. Notably, the company is extending its RGB (red, green, blue) backlight technology beyond flagship models into entry-level tiers, squaring off against TCL across the full price spectrum.

TCL is expanding its market presence with mini-LED TVs built on its proprietary Super Quantum Dot (SQD) technology, centered on the X11L, C8L, and C7L series. For large-screen premium products, the company has positioned the RM9L, an RGB mini-LED model, further segmenting its portfolio by price tier.

Counterpoint Research noted: “Samsung Electronics and TCL are competing head-on at similar price points with different technologies. Samsung is expanding RGB backlight-based TVs from flagship to entry-level models, while TCL is limiting RGB mini-LED to large premium models and positioning non-RGB SQD mini-LED at the top of its technology stack.”

OLED TV: lone 20% growth amid overall market contraction

Unlike the broader TV market, the OLED TV segment showed clear momentum. Global OLED TV shipments rose 12% year-over-year in June and jumped 20% for the full second quarter. South Korea’s LG Electronics (066570.KS) maintained its No. 1 position, commanding more than half of market share in both June and the second quarter as a whole.

The key to future OLED TV market growth is seen as cost reduction in white OLED (WOLED) panels. LG Display’s (034220.KS) large panel division is focused on lowering the price of TV-grade WOLED panels. The company has already launched the “WOLED SE,” which eliminates the polarizer to cut costs, and is also developing a “2-stack tandem” structure that simplifies the layer stack while maintaining or improving picture quality.

Counterpoint Research commented: “This can be viewed as an attempt to lower the entry price of OLED TVs themselves, going beyond simple cost reduction. Whether this WOLED strategy can meaningfully expand the OLED TV market will be a key point to watch going forward.”

Bob O’Brien, research director at Counterpoint Research, explained: “In recent years, OLED TVs have ceded ground in the ultra-premium market to relatively more affordable mini-LED TVs. Consumers compared large-screen mini-LED TVs with relatively smaller OLED TVs at similar price points, and a significant number chose mini-LED.”

He added: “LG Display is pushing back against this trend by introducing lower-cost OLED TV panels, and there is a strong possibility it can win back some of those customers.”

Shifting market dynamics and outlook

The survey results highlight structural changes in the global TV market. In the LCD TV segment, the aggressive push by Chinese manufacturers has made it increasingly difficult for Samsung Electronics to maintain its traditional dominance, while LG Electronics continues to hold a firm advantage in the OLED TV segment.

In particular, if LG Display’s WOLED cost-reduction strategy succeeds, the lower entry barrier for OLED TVs could help recapture some consumer demand that had migrated to mini-LED TVs. However, with mini-LED TVs also undergoing simultaneous technological advancement and price declines, competition between the two premium technologies is expected to persist for the foreseeable future.

The rivalry between Samsung Electronics and TCL in the LCD TV market is also evolving beyond a simple share battle into differentiation in technology roadmaps. Samsung is pursuing a strategy of expanding RGB backlight technology across all price tiers, while TCL is limiting RGB mini-LED to large premium models and positioning SQD mini-LED as its primary offering—two fundamentally different approaches to attacking the market.