TCL surged past Samsung to take the No. 1 spot in global TV shipments in December 2025, according to Counterpoint Research’s latest Global Monthly TV Tracker. While the overall shipments saw an increase of 1.6% compared to December 2024, TCL’s shipments increased 10%, as large increases in shipments to Asia-Pacific (APAC), China and the Middle East and Africa (MEA) more than offset smaller declines in North America and Western Europe.

“TCL has been gaining ground for months, and a year-end surge pushed it past Samsung in December. Although it is only for one month, TCL’s shipments are consistently growing on a YoY basis while Samsung’s shipments have been stagnant,” said Research Director Bob O’Brien. “If TCL were to gradually strengthen its presence in the premium segment through its alliance with Sony, it could pose a greater competitive threat to Samsung going forward.”

Samsung surrendered its lead held for the first 11 months of the year. Despite an 8% YoY increase in shipments in December, its market share fell 4% points month-over-month. While North and South America saw significant YoY growth, Western Europe and MEA saw a larger decline. But Samsung outpaced TCL in the fourth quarter overall, shipping 2% more TVs than in the same period last year.

Hisense took the third spot in December, with its shipments declining 23% YoY. While the brand maintained its top spot in China, it failed to overcome the slump in the market, where shipments fell 18% YoY during the period.

Source: Counterpoint Research

Associate Director Sujeong Lim said, “The expansion of TCL’s share in global TV shipments as of December appears to be driven by a combination of year-end seasonality and region-specific demand timing. It should be understood that shipments for any given month can be highly volatile due to inventory adjustments and logistics schedules. Samsung continued to maintain its leading position in the global TV market in Q4 2025.”

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