The global TV market recovered in 2018, according to new research by Futuresource Consulting.
The Worldwide TV Report found that TV shipments rose by three per cent in 2018 and trade value by seven per cent.
The boost was spurred by BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) countries, with Russia reporting a 14 per cent shipment increase as a result of hosting the FIFA World Cup. The report also cites China’s growing middle class as a factor.
Additionally, the research reveals that 4K UHD TV shipments grew by 32 per cent in 2018 and Smart TV shipments by nine per cent, while 300,000 8K TVs are likely to be shipped in 2019.
The report names Samsung, LG and TCL as global brand leaders, taking a combined market share of nearly 40 per cent in 2018. OLED is suggested to have helped keep the LG brand buoyant.
Futuresource Consulting senior market analyst Matthew Rubin said: “Looking to the future, voice control will become a key battleground for TV brands, as smart home devices continue to pervade consumers’ lives.
“Although just two per cent of TVs shipped in the first half of 2018 were able to work with Google Assistant or Amazon’s Alexa, watch out for a big push to get voice assistants incorporated into TVs, coming from TV brands and software companies alike.”
