Samsung's TV market share hits new high in second quarter

Samsung Electronics Co., the world's biggest technology company by revenue, saw its flat-panel TV market share soar to a record high in the second quarter, further cementing its lead over Japanese brands, a report showed Wednesday.

The company's market share, in terms of flat-panel TV revenue, reached 28.5 percent in the April-June period, growing from 25.9 percent three months earlier, according to the report by DisplaySearch.

South Korean TV maker LG Electronics Inc. also saw its market share grow to 15.2 percent from 14.6 percent the previous quarter.

In contrast, Japanese brands suffered a slump. Sony Corp. and Sharp Corp. saw their market share slip 1.1 percentage points and 1.5 percentage points, respectively, while only Panasonic Corp.'s market share gained 1.5 percentage points.

By revenue, South Korean brands saw their combined revenue grow 9 percent on-year, while the three Japanese companies each saw their revenue decline more than 30 percent. Chinese brands' combined revenue jumped 14 percent.

The report, meanwhile, showed overall global TV shipments fell 8 percent from a year earlier, declining for the second straight quarter, due mostly to economic uncertainties.

"A sharp decline of demand in Japan and a correction in Europe following the analog broadcast shut-offs in 2010 and 2011 have significantly impacted the TV market and contributed to a decline in shipments," DisplaySearch director Paul Gagnon said in a press release.

TV shipments in developed markets tumbled 23 percent on-year, while growth in emerging markets also slowed to 3 percent from double-digit growth late last year, according to the report. (Yonhap)