In the battle for control of the TV, Google TV remains the leading platform in Europe, but is no longer growing, according to Omdia, which also highlighted two relatively new platforms..
The TV platform is becoming increasingly important when buying a new TV as it determines which features and apps users have access to – and for how long. Meanwhile, platform owners can steer the TV industry in their preferred direction, for example towards ads and data collection.
Google TV overtook Samsung's Tizen platform in 2022, but peaked in 2024 as Google began losing key partners such as Philips (TP Vision), which has gradually phased out Google TV in its TVs. In 2026, Philips will complete its transition from Google TV to Titan OS.
- "Google's Android TV platform will be the largest single platform but it peaked at 1-in-3 shipments in 2024, declining to 1-in-4 by 2030. Key partners such as TP Vision and Hisense Europe moving to other platforms, leaving TCL Electronics Europe and smaller, localised brands are the key Android partners in the region now.," said David Tett, Principal Analyst at Omdia.
Koreans losing ground
Omdia pointed out that South Korean players – LG and Samsung – are losing ground to Chinese TV makers. TCL has been one of the key drivers behind Google TV.
- "The European TV OS market is undergoing a structural shift. Chinese manufacturers like Hisense and TCL are not only gaining share in hardware, but are now scaling their own platforms, challenging the long-standing dominance of Korean players," said Maria Rua Aguete, Head of Media and Entertainment at Omdia, when the data was presented recently, according to BroadbandTVNews.
Hisense's Vidaa TV platform has overtaken LG's webOS this year, according to Omdia.
Titan and TiVo
Omdia highlighted two emerging players that are growing rapidly in Europe: Titan OS, which Philips has adopted, and TiVo OS, primarily found in more affordable models, including some from Panasonic.
Roku OS and Amazon’s Fire TV, by contrast, play only minor roles in Europe, despite being the leading TV platforms in North America. However, the data covers only Smart TVs, so media boxes and sticks are excluded. As a result, Fire TV and Google TV are somewhat underrepresented, while Apple’s tvOS is not included at all.
Omdia provides forecasts through 2030, but these come with uncertainty. For example, what will TCL do when it takes control of Sony's TV business? And what will Skyworth do when it takes over Panasonic's TV business?
- Source: Omdia, BroadbandTVNews
