OLED TV shipments set to reach record high

Global shipments of OLED TVs are projected to hit an all-time high this year, according to new market forecasts.

Market research firm Omdia said Sunday that OLED TV shipments are expected to reach 6.55 million units in 2025, up 7.8 percent from last year’s 6.07 million. That figure would surpass the peak reached during the COVID-19 pandemic, when global demand for home appliances surged. Shipments totaled 6.52 million units in 2021 and 6.53 million in 2022.

Omdia said the high-end OLED segment stands to benefit from rising prices in the low- and mid-range TV markets, which have been unsettled by U.S. tariff policies. It added that inflation is pushing up prices for consumer goods overall, potentially curbing spending on dining, travel and sports — and boosting the importance of TVs as the centerpiece of home entertainment.

South Korean tech giants Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics together hold a 76 percent share of the global OLED TV market. LG has led the market for 12 consecutive years, shipping 52.4 percent of the world's OLED TVs last year. Samsung, which entered the market in 2022, has rapidly expanded its share from 3.1 percent in its first year to 23.5 percent in 2024.

Shipments of OLED panels are also on the rise, in line with growing TV demand. Omdia estimated that 1.4 million OLED TV panels were shipped in the first quarter, up about 10 percent from a year earlier. For the second quarter, when tariff impacts are expected to deepen, panel shipments are projected to hit a record 1.87 million units.


박종민 blick@donga.com