Samsung Electronics is leading the trend towards bigger TVs with its premium QLED TVs. The 70-inch or larger premium TV market is growing globally every year. In Samsung Electronics' TV sales, the proportion of 70-inch or larger TVs jas eclipsed that of 50- to 59-inch TVs.
TVs with a 70-inch or larger screen accounted for 9.4 percent of the global TV market in the second quarter, said IHS Markit, a global market research firm, on Oct. 15. The figure jumped from 5.1 percent in the first quarter of last year.
Market watchers note that the ultra-large and premium TV market has started to grow rapidly since last year when Samsung Electronics came up with a larger TV strategy based on its ultra-high quality 8K TVs. This means that Samsung Electronics led the market's trend towards extra large TVs.
In fact, 70-inch or larger TVs accounted for 28 percent of Samsung QLED TV sales in the second quarter of this year, exceeding the 25 percent share of the TVs in the 50-inch range, which the market mainstream. The proportion of ultra-large products over 80 inches also surpassed the 10 percent barrier in the second quarters for the first time.
As a result, competition is heating up in the ultra-large and premium TV market. Samsung Electronics has been increasing its market influence by expanding the QLED TV premium product line since last year. In the segment of TVs costing more than US$2,500, Samsung Electronics boosted its market share to 53.8 percent in the second quarter of this year from 44.3 percent in the first quarter of last year.
As the market grows, a battle for second place is getting fiercer. Japan's Sony regained second place in the second quarter of this year after losing to LG Electronics in the first quarter.
Industry watchers are predicting that TV makers will introduce ultra-high definition 8K TVs one after another, reinforcing the trend towards larger TVs and heating up competition.