How China's Skyworth Quietly Surpassed Sony to Enter Global Top 5 TV Brands

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In a heartfelt and unassuming ad campaign, Skyworth recently held a quiet "retirement ceremony" for a batch of its vintage TVs—some over 20 years old. No celebrity cameos, no flashy effects—just a nostalgic farewell to aging screens that once lit up living rooms across China. As the old sets powered down one by one, online comments flooded in with words like “tearful” and “my Skyworth is still going strong.” It was a powerful moment of emotional resonance.

But behind this touching tribute lies a far more significant narrative: Skyworth, the 37-year-old Chinese electronics brand, has quietly achieved what few thought possible—surpassing Sony in global sales revenue and entering the elite global top 5 TV brands, according to data from leading market research firm Omdia.

This isn’t just a story about nostalgia. It’s a story about innovation, persistence, and quiet technological dominance in one of the most competitive consumer electronics markets on Earth.

👉 Discover how a homegrown brand rose to global prominence through relentless innovation.

618 Dominance: More Than Just Sales Numbers

The annual 618 shopping festival is China’s equivalent of Black Friday—a high-stakes battleground where brands prove their market strength. And Skyworth didn’t just compete this year; it dominated.

These aren’t just impressive stats—they signal a fundamental shift. Consumers aren’t just buying Skyworth TVs; they’re choosing its premium, high-end models, especially in categories like art TVs and giant screens, where price sensitivity is lower and brand perception matters most.

Since 2023, Skyworth has achieved double-digit growth for three consecutive 618 events—an unprecedented streak that reflects not just marketing savvy but deep product strength and brand loyalty.

Breaking the Global Ceiling: Skyworth Joins the Elite

For decades, the global TV market was ruled by Japanese and Korean giants—Sony, Samsung, LG—brands synonymous with cutting-edge tech and premium pricing. Chinese manufacturers were often seen as budget alternatives.

But Omdia’s latest report reveals a seismic shift: Skyworth has officially overtaken Sony in global TV sales revenue, securing a spot in the world’s top 5 TV brands.

This milestone is more than symbolic. It reflects:

Even more remarkable? Three Chinese brands now stand together in the global top 5—a historic first that marks the end of decades-long dominance by Japanese and Korean firms.

And timing matters. The global TV market saw a 2.4% year-on-year increase in shipments in Q1 2025, the first quarterly rebound since 2021. Skyworth didn’t just ride this wave—it helped create it, positioning itself as a key driver of industry recovery.

The Hidden Engine: Eight Years of Obsessive Innovation

How did Skyworth do it? Not through flashy ads or influencer campaigns. The answer lies in two words: ultra-thin thermal management.

Skyworth’s flagship product line—wallpaper TVs—are designed to be as thin as a painting, seamlessly blending into modern interiors. But extreme thinness creates a major engineering challenge: heat dissipation.

Most ultra-slim TVs struggle with overheating, leading to performance throttling or even hardware failure. Skyworth’s engineers spent eight years solving this problem, developing a patented ultra-thin heat dissipation system that allows the TV to remain cool, stable, and safe—even at peak performance.

This wasn’t a one-off breakthrough. Over eight years, Skyworth launched 20 series and over 51 models of wallpaper TVs, refining the technology with each iteration. That relentless focus paid off: in 2024, Skyworth became the sales champion in both 100-inch LCD TVs and wallpaper TVs in China.

👉 See how long-term R&D investment can redefine an entire product category.

Mini LED Revolution: Precision Engineering Meets Visual Perfection

While OLED has long been the gold standard for picture quality, Mini LED is emerging as a serious contender—and Skyworth is leading the charge.

In collaboration with BOE, China’s display giant, Skyworth developed the "Ultra-Black Wide-Angle Paper-like Display"—a panel engineered to solve key pain points:

Halo effect—the unwanted glow around bright objects—is one of Mini LED’s biggest technical hurdles. Skyworth tackled it head-on with a full-chain AI halo control algorithm, optimizing everything from backlight modulation to image processing. The result? Crisp, clean images with stunning detail.

Products like the A6F Pro, tailored for audiophiles and cinephiles, and the A5F Pro, boldly marketed as “better than OLED,” showcase Skyworth’s confidence in its Mini LED technology.

During the 2025 618 event, Skyworth’s Mini LED TV sales jumped 90% year-on-year, far outpacing the industry average—a clear sign that consumers are embracing this next-generation display tech.

From CRT to Global Leader: A 37-Year Evolution

Skyworth’s journey began in the CRT (cathode-ray tube) era, when it built a reputation as a reliable, affordable home appliance brand. Today, it stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Sony—not by luck, but by design.

While others chased viral marketing or short-term gains, Skyworth stayed focused on:

Its retirement ceremony for old TVs wasn’t just sentimentality—it was a metaphor for transformation. Each powered-down CRT represented a legacy left behind, making way for sleek, intelligent, art-grade displays that redefine what a TV can be.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: How did Skyworth surpass Sony in global sales?
A: Through consistent growth in premium segments like wallpaper TVs and Mini LED models, combined with strong performance in major markets and e-commerce platforms, Skyworth achieved higher global sales revenue than Sony in 2025, according to Omdia.

Q: Is Skyworth only successful in China?
A: While China remains its largest market, Skyworth has expanded significantly overseas, particularly in Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and emerging markets. Its global brand recognition is rising alongside product quality.

Q: What makes Skyworth’s wallpaper TV different from competitors?
A: Its proprietary ultra-thin heat dissipation technology allows for true wall-hugging design without compromising performance or safety—a key differentiator that others struggle to match.

Q: Does Skyworth use OLED or Mini LED?
A: Skyworth focuses heavily on Mini LED technology, enhancing it with innovations like AI halo control and paper-like anti-glare screens. It positions its high-end Mini LED models as competitive alternatives to OLED.

Q: How important is R&D to Skyworth’s strategy?
A: Extremely. The company has invested eight years into perfecting its wallpaper TV line and continues to collaborate with top-tier suppliers like BOE to push display technology forward.

Q: What does Skyworth’s rise mean for the global TV industry?
A: It signals a power shift toward Chinese brands in the premium segment, challenging the long-held perception that only Japanese or Korean companies can lead in high-end consumer electronics.

👉 Explore how innovation can turn legacy brands into future leaders.

Final Thoughts: The Real Winner Is Long-Term Vision

Skyworth’s rise isn’t about overnight success or viral moments. It’s about thousands of engineering hours, relentless iteration, and a refusal to compromise on quality.

In an age obsessed with trends and traffic, Skyworth reminds us that true leadership comes from quiet dedication—building better products, solving real problems, and earning trust one customer at a time.

As Chinese brands like Skyworth claim their place among global elite manufacturers, one thing is clear: the future of consumer tech isn’t just made in China—it’s being redefined there.