"It's Not Just Short-Form Content: The Real Reasons Behind the Sharp Drop in China's TV Sales"

Lowest Sales Volume in a Decade

Global Premium Market Still Dominated by Samsung and LG

The Chinese TV market recently recorded its lowest sales in a decade. While the surface-level causes appear to be the departure of younger consumers and the rise of short-form content, the fundamental issues lie in a personalized media environment and severe polarization within the market.

According to the Chinese economic media outlet Huxiu on September 13, “In August this year, TV shipments reached 2.408 million units, marking a 3.3% decrease compared to the same period last year, but a 30.2% increase compared to the previous month.”

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23 Million Units Drop Compared to 10 Years Ago

According to Ruotu Technology, total TV shipments in China from January to August this year stood at 19.205 million units, down 8.4% from the same period last year. First quarter shipments also dropped by 8.8% year-on-year to 8.065 million units. Retail sales volume was 6.4 million units, an 11.4% decrease, and retail sales value fell 6.8% to 25.9 billion yuan. In particular, China's TV retail sales volume dropped to 27.63 million units last year, marking the lowest level in the past ten years. Compared to 50.89 million units a decade ago, this represents a decline of more than 23 million units.

Polarization within the TV market has become pronounced. Low-priced, small TVs are disappearing, while the premium, large-screen market is growing. As a result, the memory and LED chip ecosystems are benefiting. While the domestic market in China is contracting, overseas markets are showing expansion.

The media outlet stated that "the causes of sluggish sales cannot simply be pinned on ‘young people not watching TV’ or ‘the popularity of short-form platforms’," analyzing that the Chinese TV market has entered an extreme price war phase.

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The biggest reason is that the time families used to spend together each day has dissolved. In the past, TV was the only form of entertainment and a medium that brought families together. However, with the advent of smartphones, tablets, earphones, and gaming consoles, individualized content consumption has increased. Additional factors, such as TV advertisements and unnecessary inconveniences, have also contributed to the decline in TV usage.

Open Wallets for High-Quality, High-Priced Displays

Furthermore, younger consumers are reluctant to spend on low-priced, low-quality products but are willing to pay for high-quality displays. A local industry representative commented, “It’s not that the younger generation dislikes watching TV, but that TVs have failed to deliver real added value.” They pointed out, “Most brands still define demand by price, but the true target audience should be consumers who are willing to open their wallets, even for high-priced products.” In fact, while Samsung’s market share in China was only 3.62%, after its withdrawal was announced, trading volume on JD.com more than doubled from the previous year—surging by over 200%. Offline stores experienced stockouts, and some products even saw price increases.

Chinese brands are striving to expand into overseas markets, but Samsung and LG continue to dominate the premium segment. Notably, Samsung holds a 54.3% share of the TV market for models priced over $2,500.

The media outlet advised, “Companies must first seriously consider whether their new products reflect the real needs of younger consumers and whether they address inconveniences in usage,” warning that if structural improvements are not made, the TV market’s struggles will likely deepen.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.