Panasonic announces strategic TV partnership with Skyworth ahead of unveiling its new range

Panasonic’s television business was talked about in hushed tones at CES in January. I’ve heard industry insiders discuss whether it plans to exit Europe, speculation stemming from the brand not revealing its new OLED and Mini LED flagship.

However, the real reason Panasonic has been tight-lipped about its latest television show was revealed at the Panasonic Experience 2026 in Ottobrun, Germany, this week, and surprised many in attendance.

Top TV business in Europe?

Following in the footsteps of its Japanese counterpart, Sony, which agreed to a joint venture with TCL earlier this year, Panasonic has found a “strategic partnership” with Shenzhen Skyworth Display Technology.

The partnership, which will take effect on April 1, will see TVs continue to be manufactured under the Panasonic brand, but “remove the boundaries” of what can be delivered “in terms of ambition and vision,” according to Paul Darch, CEO at Chuangwei RGB, Skyworth’s parent company.

The exact details of the partnership are still being wrapped up. However, Skyworth will handle the production of Panasonic TVs in Europe and the US, as well as oversee the sales and marketing of its televisions going forward. Panasonic, meanwhile, will provide after-sales support for those with older Panasonic sets, as well as new manufactured ones going forward.

We’ve been incredibly impressed with Panasonic’s flagship TVs over the past few years. The Z95B OLED was awarded TV of the Year at our Product of the Year Awards in January, while the Mini LED W95B also picked up our 2025 Recommended Award.

Darch said there will be no change in the quality of what Panasonic offers, and he hopes that, by strengthening capabilities in all key areas, the brand can secure a “double-digit market share in Europe”.

“We, as a partner, bring real strength and global expertise to TVs. We are a top five TV brand globally, and that is important because it gives us confidence and creates real momentum behind Panasonic TVs,” he explained.

“With world-class manufacturing capabilities, we can efficiently scale up innovation and bring excellence to many European homes, with the Panasonic DNA evident in every detail. Simply put, we create access with dignity.”

No new OLED or Mini LED flagships are coming this year

Perhaps surprisingly, given the importance of Skyworth’s announcement, the unveiling of Panasonic’s 2026 TV lineup felt redundant. This was in no small part due to the lack of new flagship options in the UK.

I Z95B again Z90B OLEDs have been delivered since last year, with the first new addition to the OLED system, i The Z86Cavailable in 55in and 65in screen sizes. There’s no substitute for last year’s W95B Mini LED option set for the UK, either. “Continental Europe” is getting new Google TVs in the form of the W97C and W95C (with the only difference being the finish color), but we don’t seem to be getting them here.

Instead, Panasonic is slotting in the W94C just below the W95B in three sizes (55in, 65in and 75in) and topping its Mini LED offering with W91C; it’s the only TV in its lineup to run the Roku and the Mini LED option only has a 60Hz refresh rate.

In front of the quantum dot LED, i W80C instead of- W80A. Meanwhile, the basic 4K LED W61A will be finished and replaced with W60C. To meet the growing demand for large screen TVs, both W80C again W60Crunning the TiVo operating system rather than the Amazon Fire TV OS found on the models above it, it will be available in 75in, as well as 43in, 50in, 55in and 65in.

More updates are available in the non-4K part of the Panasonic TV range. S55A makes way for The S65Cwhich uses a 2K QLED panel, is available in 40in and 32in sizes and supports Fire TV, while the HD-Ready, TiVo-powered The S45C again The S40C Exchange shares S45A.

A few reflections on the top view experience

One thing Panasonic was keen to push this year was its new anti-reflection technology. This will appear in different forms on different sets, the W94C and W91C both featuring Glare Free Ultra. The models at the bottom of the range, such as the W80C, get a less effective anti-glare solution in the form of Glare Free Max, while the W60C, S65C, S45C and S40C feature basic Glare Free technology.

As you may have guessed, these are designed to reduce stray reflections while maintaining clarity and contrast. Based on the first demo of the Ultra version, it works very well, although without sides and competitors, it was impossible to judge how it reaches the same methods used by the likes of Samsung and TCL.

“Inspired by heritage. Designed for the future”

Alongside the Panasonic TVs that will be available for purchase this year were a few prototypes intended to demonstrate the kind of new ideas the brand plans to bring to life as it has partnered with Skyworth.

There was a 77in OLED with a very slim design, a removable subwoofer base, a 6.1.2 channel sound system and a second integrated display under the panel, another OLED, this time with 4.1.2 channel sound and a removable speaker base, and an RGB Mini LED TV.

Panasonic is already lagging behind the competition ahead, with Hisense, TCL, Samsung and many more either having RGB Mini LED TVs already on the market, or will be on the market in the next few months.

I was particularly impressed by the two-sided compact TV that had a screen on one side and a CD player and speaker on the other. It was hinted that this CD player might be replaced by a DVD or Blu-ray player later in the product development cycle, which would be nice. There was also a 24in portable TV, seemingly inspired by the design of Skyworth’s portable telly, but incorporating a multi-functional stand and leather cover.

Exciting times ahead?

Overall, while I wasn’t blown away by what Pana brought to the TV table this year, it still has a solid range that caters to the masses.

It will be interesting to see what the various entries are worth; I think the partnership with Skyworth will see more premium Panasonic TVs moving forward, but I’d be surprised if we see a big move on that until next year.

I am hopeful, however, that we see a good discount on the Z95B. As our favorite TV of 2025, I can understand the rationale for keeping it going for another year, but I’d like to see it drop in price to make it more affordable.

Either way, I’m glad the rumors I heard at CES turned out to be false. What Panasonic’s television business looks like in a year, let alone five years, is anyone’s guess. But if its partnership with Skyworth brings more TVs like the W95B and Z95B to a wider audience at affordable prices, the latest Japan-China alliance will be a success in my book.

Written by

Andy White

Andy was appointed Technical Editor in 2024 following four years spent putting a large range of products through their paces. A former sports reporter at Greenways Publishing, he cut his technical teeth testing laptops before taking over as the area’s TV and audio specialist. He’s laid his eye on more headphones and televisions than you can shake your hand at but has also reviewed football boots, portable gaming consoles and everything in between. As well as researching, writing and editing, Andy covers product launches and key industry events in the UK and overseas.

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