Multimedia conglomerate Sony has announced that it is spinning off one of its longest-running business ventures, which predates its iconic. PlayStation Gaming console lineup. Despite the publisher's unprecedented position in the world of video games with the PlayStation brand, Sony has also maintained a strong presence in other areas of the media and entertainment landscape since its formation in 1946. In the early stages of its history, Sony gained notoriety for a variety of electronics, including the TR-55 radio and the CV200000000 video recorder.
The media giant continued its growth in the 1980s and 1990s, acquiring Columbia Records and Columbia Pictures and folding them into Sony Music Group and Sony Pictures Entertainment, respectively. As well as foraying into the worlds of music, film and television, the group plunged into the world of gaming with the launch of the PlayStation in 1994, creating a juggernaut that helped make it the world's best-selling console brand. Its dominance didn't stop there, as Sony acquired Crunchyroll in 2021, merging it with its pre-existing Funimation service as the group looked to become a household name in the world of anime.
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Sony's TV brand will be transferred to TCL
Sony has announced a new partnership with Chinese electronics giant TCL and will bring its television business into the new venture. Under the deal, TCL will own 51% of the new television company, while Sony will own 49%, below the majority share threshold. The two are expected to finalize all agreements by March, and following prototypical legal approvals, the new company is expected to begin operations from April 2027.
Even amid the new joint venture, TCL is expected to continue using the Sony and Bravia branding on its upcoming products. Even as Sony moves away from the day-to-day production of televisions, TCL promises to continue to benefit from Sony's “high-quality picture and audio technology.” TCL will combine this with its “advanced display technology”, while leveraging its global strength to continue to push displays on a global scale.
If the deal successfully clears all legal hurdles, it will end Sony's standing as a major heavyweight in one of its longest-running business ventures. Sony first established itself in the television landscape in 1959 with the production of the TV8-301, the first all-transistor television display. Its landmark Trinitron brand, one of the first commercial television systems, sold over 100 million units and was an important step toward color TV.
Since the 2010s, however, Sony has moved away from many areas of the electronics business, notably ending production of its own Blu-ray discs last year, in an effort to focus more on using its intellectual properties in film and anime. Meanwhile, as the rest of the television industry struggled, TCL competed in the TV market with brands like LG by creating competitively priced displays. The joint venture creates a best-of-both-worlds situation, where Sony can focus on the media it produces, and TCL can use Sony's branding and equipment to gain an even greater edge against its competitors.
