This is the latest forecast released by market research firm Omdia. With the heat of the 2026 World Cup, football festival held in the US, Mexico and Canada, the amount of TV shops is expected to increase from 208 million units in 2025 to 210 million units in 2026. Looking further, Omdia's forecast shows that the global TV factory shipment will reach nearly 212 million units by 2029.
The fastest growing markets in 2026 are forecast to be in Europe, where the number of TVs shipped from Western Europe is expected to increase by 3.2% and Eastern Europe is on a growth path of 3.1%. North America, the tournament host region, is also expected to grow steadily at 2.2%.
This promising growth rate is in complete contrast to China's outlook, where the number of factory TVs is expected to decrease by 4.7% compared to the same period last year in 2026. This decline, which began with a 12% decline year-on-year in the third quarter of 2025, comes after the end of local government funding, which boosted people's TV demand in 2025.
The weakening of TV demand in China by 2026 will have a profound impact on the global market, said Matthew Rubin, senior analyst for TV research at Omdia. Chinese brands will seek growth opportunities in the international market, which could increase competitive pressure during the period of strong marketing activities and high demand, Mr. Rubin added.
In the long term, India is expected to become a key market for Chinese brands, boosting competition and improving consumer choice.
Focusing on a large and expanding market will support growth in the Asia-Pacific region, where exports are expected to increase by 2.6% per year by 2026. With a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.2% from 2025 to 2029, this will be the fastest growing region globally.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. This is the first World Cup to expand to 48 teams from 6 continents. In total, the tournament will have 104 matches, taking place at stadiums in 16 cities in the US, Mexico and Canada.
