Omdia: Global TV market to grow by 6% in the first quarter of 2026 ahead of the World Cup

Data compiled by Omdia's TV Sets (Emerging Technologies) Market Tracker reveals that global TV shipments increased by 6% year-over-year, reaching 50.3 million units in the first quarter of 2026. This growth is primarily driven by retailers' desire to increase their inventories ahead of the global football tournament that began last week. All major geographic regions are showing positive growth, with the sole exception of mainland China, which continues to experience weak domestic demand following the domestic stimulus measures implemented during 2025. North America and emerging economies are leading the way. The two fastest-growing regions in the first quarter were Asia-Oceania (up 13%) and Latin America (up 12%). These developing markets directly benefit from the strategy of Chinese manufacturers, forced to redirect their shipments internationally to compensate for the weakness of their domestic market. Meanwhile, North America is surprising with a very strong 11% increase, despite an already saturated market share. As co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup, the United States offers retailers a perfect opportunity for aggressive television promotions. Omdia also highlights the price war being waged by distributors, such as the giant Walmart, whose stated goal is to expand the reach of its Vizio OS operating system (integrated into Onn. and Vizio brand televisions). The objective is to generate sustainable revenue through advertising rather than relying solely on the profitability of hardware sales. Thanks to this approach, North American consumers were largely spared the price increases of certain components (particularly memory), which helped maintain surprisingly stable TV prices worldwide. RGB LED technology lying in wait for OLED. The other major takeaway from the start of 2026 is Omdia's integration of a new, highly anticipated technology category: RGB LED TVs. Intended to directly compete with OLED screens in the premium segment, this technology is still in its infancy, with only 39,400 units shipped in the first quarter. However, Omdia anticipates an increasingly decisive role for RGB LED in the months and years to come, with strong potential for widespread adoption in mid-range televisions (thus mirroring the adoption trajectory of Mini LED). While the Chinese market is currently leading the way, driven by early models from TCL and Hisense, this trend is expected to quickly become international. "The Chinese market is leading the adoption of RGB LED televisions, but this is mainly due to the earlier introduction of TCL and Hisense models compared to other international regions," explains Matthew Rubin, Director of TV Research at Omdia. He concludes: "With many more models introduced before the World Cup, the shipping volume of this technology should accelerate rapidly."