Samsung Electronics started 2026 with a firm grip on the global television market, capturing a 19.1% share of worldwide shipments in the first quarter as total industry volume reached 47.12 million units — the highest first-quarter total since 2020. The number marks the 21st consecutive quarter Samsung has held the top position in a race it has led without interruption since 2006, a streak that market research firm Omdia confirmed formally in March when it certified Samsung's 20th consecutive year as the world's No.1 TV brand. But the quarter's clean headline numbers obscure a cost crisis building beneath the surface — one TrendForce says will force every brand to make hard choices about what to build and what to abandon for the rest of 2026.
The reason TV shipments surged in Q1 was not robust consumer demand. TrendForce explains that tight supply of DRAM and NAND Flash memory — reallocated from consumer electronics to AI server builds — triggered a significant price surge for memory components used in TVs starting in late 2025. Brands accelerated stocking and pull-in orders to lock in costs before prices climbed further, artificially inflating first-quarter shipments. On the consumer side, demand remained conservative: the traditional slow season combined with reduced trade-in subsidies in China kept buyers cautious. The strong shipment figure, in other words, was supply-chain positioning, not market enthusiasm.
Samsung TV Shipments Grew, but TCL Grew Faster
Samsung shipped 9 million units in Q1, a 4% increase year-on-year. TCL took second place with 7.68 million units and an 11.3% year-on-year gain — the fastest growth rate among the top five brands. TrendForce attributes TCL's momentum to expansion in North America and emerging markets, combined with aggressive promotion of Mini LED and large-screen models. Hisense finished third with 7.1 million units and 3.8% growth. LG Electronics came in fourth with 5.7 million units, up 5.6% year-on-year.
The most dramatic shift in the quarter belonged to Xiaomi, whose shipments fell 22% year-on-year to just 2.02 million units. TrendForce attributes the drop to the fading effects of China's subsidy program, a deliberate strategic pivot toward higher-margin large-screen models, and rising memory costs that squeezed the economics of Xiaomi's small and medium TV lineup. One brand the report flags as a potential disruptor is Skyworth, which took over Philips' North American TV operations and secured brand licensing for Panasonic TVs. TrendForce says Skyworth's continued growth gives it a realistic path into the top-five global rankings before year-end.
How Memory Costs Are Reshaping What Gets Built
The structural story behind Q1 is not who won the quarter but what rising memory prices are doing to product strategy across the industry. TrendForce reports that memory's share of the total production cost for a 32-inch television rose from 6–7% to 15% in the first quarter. In response, shipments in that size category are projected to fall 9.1% in 2026 full-year, and the 32-inch's share of global shipments is expected to shrink to 19%. The economics of small TVs are deteriorating faster than brands can compensate.
For 65-inch models, by contrast, memory's share of production cost rose from just 2–3% to 10% — a much more manageable increase. TrendForce projects 65-inch and 75-inch TVs will be the primary promotional sizes for 2026, with products 65 inches and above accounting for nearly 25% of global shipments. The premium segment, where Samsung holds a commanding 54.3% share of TVs priced above $2,500, remains the most defensible territory for brands with the scale to absorb input-cost pressure.
Mini LED TVs are emerging as the critical battleground for margins. TrendForce forecasts global Mini LED shipments will reach 24.9 million units in 2026, an 87% year-on-year increase, with market penetration surpassing 10% for the first time. TCL, Hisense, and Xiaomi currently hold a combined 54% share of Mini LED shipments, having built that position through supply-chain integration and cost reduction. Samsung introduced an entry-level Mini LED lineup this year specifically to counter that push, a move TrendForce expects will allow Samsung to reclaim the top position in the Mini LED segment with approximately 30% market share.
What Does "Fastest Growth" Actually Mean for TCL and Hisense Customers?
TCL's fastest-growth headline comes with context that matters for any consumer considering a purchase. Both TCL and Hisense are headquartered in China. Both are currently defendants in active litigation brought by the Texas Attorney General, who filed suit in December 2025 against five major TV manufacturers — including Samsung, LG, and Sony alongside the two Chinese brands — for collecting consumer viewing data through Automated Content Recognition technology without adequate consent. ACR, as described in the complaints, captures screenshots of whatever is displayed on a smart TV every 500 milliseconds and transmits that data to company servers, where it is used to target advertising.
Texas courts issued temporary restraining orders against both Hisense and Samsung during the proceedings. Samsung settled in February 2026, agreeing to obtain explicit consumer consent before any ACR data collection and to rewrite its consent screens. Hisense and TCL have not settled and remain in active litigation as of May 2026.
The Texas AG's complaints against Hisense and TCL go further than those against the other three defendants. The complaints specifically allege that data collected by both companies could be subject to China's National Security Law, which under Article 7 requires all organizations and citizens in China to support, assist, and cooperate with state intelligence work on demand. The law applies regardless of where a company stores its data or where its Western subsidiaries are incorporated. Neither Hisense nor TCL has publicly committed to refusing Chinese government data requests, and neither has published results of an independent, named security audit confirming the absence of government access mechanisms in their products.
Full-Year 2026 Outlook: Best-Case Scenario Is a Slight Decline
Despite the strong Q1, TrendForce projects global TV shipments for the full year 2026 will register a slight 1% year-on-year decline to 194.2 million units. Memory costs are the primary driver: with panels already representing 40–50% of TV production costs and memory's share rising sharply, brands are losing the ability to run the deep promotional discounts that historically sustain second-half demand. TrendForce warns that the divergence in brand strategies will become more pronounced through the year. Top-tier brands — those with scale and cost advantages, primarily Samsung and LG — will concentrate on high-margin large-screen and Mini LED models. Smaller and mid-tier brands will phase out small-screen products and redirect their manufacturing toward entry-level full-HD models in the 65-inch and 75-inch range, where memory costs are a smaller proportion of the total build.
The consumer implication is direct: a television purchase delayed by several months is likely to cost more than the same purchase made today. Rising memory prices are already embedded in manufacturer cost structures; they will eventually surface in retail prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the number one TV brand in the world?
Samsung has held the top position in the global TV market for 20 consecutive years, a run that began in 2006. In the first quarter of 2026, Samsung held a 19.1% share of worldwide TV shipments, ahead of TCL at 16.3% and Hisense at 15.1%.
Is TCL bigger than Samsung in TV sales?
Not overall, but TCL has closed the gap significantly and surpassed Samsung in specific segments. TCL now outsells Samsung in TVs 80 inches and larger in some tracked quarters. In Q1 2026, TCL recorded the fastest year-on-year growth among the top five brands at 11.3%, while Samsung grew 4%.
Which TV brands are involved in U.S. privacy lawsuits?
The Texas Attorney General filed suit in December 2025 against Samsung, LG, Sony, Hisense, and TCL for collecting viewing data through Automated Content Recognition technology without adequate consumer consent. Samsung settled in February 2026. Hisense and TCL remain in active litigation, with the additional allegation that their data may be subject to China's National Security Law.
Are TV prices going up in 2026?
TrendForce considers retail price increases likely across the industry due to rising memory and display panel costs. Memory's share of total TV production costs surged in early 2026, driven by AI server demand pulling global chip supply away from consumer electronics. Brands can no longer absorb these increases through promotional discounting at the scale they previously used.
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