Once a leader in television innovation, Sony has seen its market share plummet in recent years, falling to fifth place globally by 2024.as competitors like Samsung and TCL gain dominance, questions arise about the future of the Japanese electronics giant in a fiercely competitive industry. This report examines the factors contributing to Sony’s decline – from a lack of governmental support compared to rivals to marketing missteps – and explores whether the company’s recent technological developments, including a push toward RGB LED technology, are enough to stage a comeback.
Once a dominant force, the Sony brand has significantly weakened in the television sector. Does it have a future, and does it even want one?
At the turn of the millennium, only a handful of traditional companies remained at the forefront of the television industry. Today, European television manufacturing has virtually disappeared, with brands either defunct or frequently bought and sold.
A similar fate has befallen many of the once-legendary Japanese manufacturers, including JVC, Toshiba, and Hitachi, now largely relics of the past. Panasonic’s television division teeters on the brink, potentially facing closure at the behest of dissatisfied leadership, while Sony’s position has also eroded considerably.
Sony, which once commanded nearly 50% of the global market share in the early 1990s and still held 28% as late as 2006, saw its market share dwindle to just 5% in 2024. This decline has pushed the company to fifth place, trailing Samsung, TCL, Hisense, and LG. Recent industry speculation suggests Xiaomi may overtake Sony this year. The shifting landscape underscores the intense competition and rapid innovation within the global television market.
A key factor in this shift is that, unlike South Korea and China, Japan doesn’t offer billions of dollars in support to its consumer electronics companies. There are no large-scale government programs or covert capital injections.
