Samsung Electronics has firmly maintained its position as the leading player in the global TV market, despite fierce competition from Chinese manufacturers. The company has demonstrated its competitiveness by significantly outpacing Hisense in both the premium and budget TV segments. However, as the TV market continues to face a downturn, Samsung is focusing on enhancing profitability through advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, strengthening platform competitiveness, and expanding its business-to-business (B2B) operations.
According to industry sources, Samsung Electronics secured the top spot in all key metrics in the global TV market for the first quarter of this year, marking its 20th consecutive year as the leading global TV seller.
Market research firm Omdia reported that Samsung held a 31.3% market share by revenue in the global TV market during the first quarter of this year, followed by LG Electronics at 14.8%, TCL at 13.3%, and Hisense at 10.6%.
Counterpoint Research noted that Samsung also led the North American mini LED TV market with a 40% share in the first quarter, surpassing Hisense, which held a 27% share. This marks a significant turnaround from the previous year, when Samsung trailed Hisense by a narrow margin of 1% (31% to 32%).
Despite the expansion of its global market share, Samsung faces challenges in terms of profitability. While the World Cup boosted global TV shipments temporarily in the first quarter, ongoing cost pressures from panels and logistics are expected to continue to dampen profitability in the home appliance sector.
In response, Samsung is shifting its focus from a hardware-centric business model to enhancing AI and platform-based services. The appointment of Lee Won-jin as head of the Video Display (VD) division in May is seen as part of this strategic shift. Lee, a former representative of Google Korea, has been leading Samsung's ad-supported free streaming service, Samsung TV Plus.
Samsung is evolving its TVs into platforms that integrate content, advertising, and AI services. Currently operating over 4,300 channels in 30 countries, Samsung TV Plus surpassed 100 million monthly active users globally earlier this year. The company aims to expand advertising revenue and enhance personalized services using AI to create sustainable income streams.
The B2B sector is also viewed as a key pillar for improving profitability. Recently, Samsung launched a hotel-specific version of 'The Frame,' targeting the commercial display market. This product offers features such as art viewing and real-time translation services tailored for hotels and resorts.
Commercial displays typically have a higher average selling price (ASP) than consumer TVs and can generate additional revenue from maintenance services, making them more profitable. As the share of corporate clients increases, Samsung can enhance its performance stability.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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