What Happened To Panasonic TVs – And Why The Brand Stopped Making Them

Panasonic's plasma TV heyday ended more than a decade ago, marking the end of an era for videophiles. Fortunately, it wouldn't take long for OLED technology to become the new golden standard for home cinema devotees. Brands like LG, Samsung, and Sony helped to popularize these self-emissive displays, and for a minute, Panasonic reentered the North American TV marketplace with a handful of OLED models to choose from. But alas, it appears the company's reemergence was rather short-lived.

In February 2026, Panasonic announced it would be partnering with Skyworth, a Chinese electronics conglomerate, with the latter handling all production and distribution of Panasonic TVs for North America and Europe. This may come as a surprise to those who remember the brand's industry-lauded plasma sets, but Panasonic has seen a lot of ups and downs over the last 12 years or so. The company stopped making plasmas in 2014, citing the growing popularity of flatscreen LED-LCDs and bankruptcy of the Lehman Brothers investment firm as reasons.

In 2016, Panasonic exited the U.S. market altogether, and it wouldn't be until 2024 the brand would return with a handful of OLED and Mini-LED TVs. Unfortunately, this was a short-lived stint, and now, once again, you won't be able to buy Panasonic TVs in the U.S. Well, at least not ones that were actually made by Panasonic (Skyworth will still be using the Panasonic name for U.S. and European markets).

Panasonic's decision to partner up with Skyworth may prove profitable in the long run. In July 2025, Omdia, a global technology research and advisory firm, reported Skyworth was one of the top five TV brands for worldwide sales in Q1 2025. According to FlatpanelsHD, Panasonic stated at a launch event, "Under the agreement, the new partner will lead sales, marketing, and logistics across the region, while Panasonic provides expertise and quality assurance to uphold its renowned audiovisual standards with full joint development on top-end OLED models." 

It's too soon to tell how involved Panasonic will actually be under this new Skyworth deal, but here's one of the most important takeaways: If you see a Panasonic-branded TV at Best Buy or Walmart in the U.S. after April 2026, it was made by Skyworth.

Panasonic also said it will still offer support for Panasonic TVs sold up to March 2026, as well as any sets sold in April. We're curious to see exactly how this new partnership is going to shake out, especially since it sounds like Panasonic doesn't plan on letting Skyworth be solely in charge of high-end long-lasting OLED development — at least for the time being.