Who makes TVs under the Philips brand?

In 2012 Philips, a long-established producer of electronics, including home appliances and televisions, ran into financial difficulties. As a result, the company stopped producing televisions under its own management. Philips sold its factories, closed its TV development operations, and switched to a licensing model, allowing other companies to manufacture and sell televisions under the Philips brand.

Two main companies received the licensing rights:

Funai Electric Co., Ltd.: a Japanese company that obtained the rights to produce and sell Philips televisions in North America and several countries in Latin America. After going bankrupt in 2025, Funai transferred the license to the Chinese company Skyworth.

TP Vision: a joint venture created with Philips, which received the rights to manufacture and sell Philips televisions in all regions outside North America.

A Brief History of Philips Televisions, 1950–2026

The history of Philips television manufacturing began in the 1950s; Philips produced high-quality televisions that were in demand around the world. In the early 1990s, the television industry underwent changes related to globalization of manufacturing. Factories began relocating en masse to China, where labor costs were lower at the time. By the mid-2000s, it became clear that the future was with large-screen smart TVs. The transition to manufacturing such large TVs required changes in production processes.

The industry crisis began in the early 2010s: strong competition dominated the market. During this period, many well-known brands began to exit this business sector. In addition to Philips, brands such as Toshiba, Sharp, Grundig, and Thomson left the television manufacturing business.

In 2012, Philips sold its television business and exited the sector. Under the licensing agreement, Philips receives revenue from the use of the brand and maintains a single website where licensees publish information about their televisions. This approach allows licensees to market their products under the Philips brand, and many consumers were initially unaware that Philips itself no longer manufactures televisions.

You can find information about televisions on the following websites.

TPV Vision: https://www.philips.co.uk/c-m-so/tv
Funai: https://www.usa.philips.com/c-m-so/tv

Philips brand licensing for televisions in North America

In North America, Funai Electric Co., Ltd. has been manufacturing and selling televisions under the Philips brand since 2008. At first, Funai acted as a Philips sales agent, distributing televisions in the United States and Canada. By 2012, when the issue of licensing the Philips brand arose, Funai obtained a license to independently manufacture and sell televisions under the Philips brand.

In 2013, Funai held preliminary negotiations to acquire a Philips electronics manufacturing plant in Mexico. However, the deal was not completed, and Funai ultimately abandoned this investment. As a result, Philips separated its Mexican operations into a separate company, which was sold in 2014. After 2014, Philips discontinued television production in Mexico.

Funai faced several challenges while manufacturing Philips televisions. In the mid-2010s, a large number of low-cost televisions from Chinese manufacturers entered the U.S. and Canadian markets. Compared to similar products from Funai, Philips-branded televisions began to lose attractiveness, and sales declined. In 2017, Funai stopped releasing new TV models and continued selling only existing models.

In 2023, production resumed, and the company switched from Android-based TVs to TVs running Roku OS. Funai also changed the year designation in Philips TV model numbers, where the year identifier directly corresponds to the last digit of the actual year of manufacture. By 2025, the company went bankrupt, and the rights to sell Philips TVs were acquired by the Chinese company Skyworth, a major TV manufacturer; Skyworth now also sells televisions under the Philips brand.

Philips Brand Licensing (TP Vision)

TP Vision was created as a joint venture between TPV Technology (70%) and Philips (30%). Philips initially retained a minority stake in the business. In 2014, due to the need for additional capital, TPV Technology acquired the remaining shares from Philips and became the sole owner of TP Vision.

TP Vision operates a large manufacturing network that includes 13 factories. Five of these are located outside China—in Russia, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, and Poland. The remaining factories are based in China, where televisions and related accessories are produced.

Alongside Philips televisions, TP Vision is also a major OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) of TVs and monitors. Its brand portfolio includes Philips (TVs, monitors, and soundbars), AOC, Great Wall, AGON, and Envision.

TP Vision’s marketing strategy focuses on adapting Philips TV positioning to different regional markets. For example, in Australia and New Zealand, Philips TVs are positioned mainly as models featuring Mini LED and OLED technologies. In Europe, the lineup is presented under series such as Ambilight, OLED, The Xtra, and The One.