This week, Panasonic announced a new “partnership” with Chinese manufacturer Skyworth for its TV business.
The news came from the launch event in Germany which was attended What is Hi-Fi?, where we also got our first look at Pansonic’s 2026 TV lineup, which includes just one new consumer-focused OLED.
During the event, the two firms revealed that the Shenzhen-based company will handle all sales, marketing, and logistics for many of the upcoming Panasonic-branded TVs destined for Europe and the UK. Panasonic, meanwhile, will handle quality control.
In short, it appears that Skyworth will manufacture, distribute and sell the new TVs, while Panasonic rubber stamps them as “meeting their standards”.
We’re waiting for full details, but one company paying to use another’s brand, or entering into a formal partnership to put together products, is nothing new in the TV world. Philips has had an agreement with TP Vision for several months, and Sony announced a new partnership with TCL earlier this year.
It’s too early to tell how these changes will play out. Despite nearly two decades of reviewing TVs, I have yet to test one in the Skyworth stable. So I have no knowledge of the company’s TV production skills.
However, it has made a lot of OLED sets in the past, which TCL, the famous champion of Mini LED, did not have – that is why I and the rest of the group were worried about the future of Sony in the space when their cooperation was first announced.
At this event, all the representatives of both sides were making the right noises, of course, telling our chief staff writer, Lewis Empson, “Panasonic TVs will remain true to what makes them great,” but “with a new scale and resources behind them.”
If it’s true, that’s great.
Anyway, I’m still shocked. In my experience, these types of partnerships did not always lead to “great products” for the end user.
For example, remember when Samsung bought Harman and started putting the AKG brand on a wealth of three-star earbuds, including the original Galaxy Buds Pro and Galaxy Buds Pro 2?
Even the hordes of “Onkyo-tuned” or “B&O-tuned” TVs end up with three-star scores in their sound category.
In the past, when I was reviewing smartphones, I also remember the disastrous “relationship” with camera manufacturers.
There was one in particular with Motorola and Hasselblad – a camera maker that helped develop the technology used to film the moon landing. Let’s just say the results were out of this world…
There are too many examples throughout history to list here. But to me, the idea of Panasonic TVs going down the same path is very sad.
As a reviewer, of course, I’m not biased; but I have fond memories of the brand, which was one of the most exciting TV makers on the scene in the early days of my career.
Its plasma TVs dominated the market. More importantly, they had the operational chops to justify their popularity.
Heck, check out our reviews of TVs available at the time. In 2009, the year of my first TV review, the Panasonic TX-P42X10B received a five-star recommendation. Humble brag: we were also the first product to receive a sample.
The following year, the Panasonic TX-P50V20 took things to the next level, winning our trophy for best 50-inch TV during the 2010 What Hi-Fi? Prizes.
This hot streak continued into 2013 with the Panasonic TX-P50GT60B plasma winning the best premium 47in-52in TV that year.
Panasonic was our dog, and many readers, the plasma top dog, pure and simple.
And, while many reviewers began to favor LCD competitors and OLED offerings, evidenced by the decline in Panasonic TV sales since then, I personally continued to like the company’s premium offerings and focused more on delivering the “as the director intended experience”.
In fact, it’s this DNA that led me to invest in the four-star Panasonic TX-55EZ952B (heavily discounted) for my own use in 2017.
And this focus has continued over the years, despite declining sales, as evidenced by the 48-inch Panasonic Z90B from 2025. It was its unusually developed, consistent image that helped it take the trophy.
With sales dipping and Panasonic no longer being the biggest market darling it once was, I can see that the new owners might want to change this. From a business perspective, it certainly makes sense. If profit is your ultimate goal and the current strategy of focusing on cinephiles isn’t working, why not change the volume or at least adjust the formula to be more in line with what your competitors are currently doing well?
It’s just a little sad for people with tastes like mine, those who value consistency and consistent image quality over beating your socks off with nit count and a smorgasbord of AI features.
The number of TV makers still focusing on my priorities seems to be dwindling by the hour.
I can’t help but think that’s a bad thing. After all, authenticity and consistency always wins the race in the long run right? The tortoise and the hare taught us that. Right?!
Here’s hoping I’m wrong.
MORE:
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We measure the excellent OLED TVs
Our choice Panasonic TVs are excellent
