one or two television brands dominate a specific category of display technology (e.g., Panasonic for plasma televisions), yet there can be extended periods during which a well-known TV manufacturer is silent, only to make an unexpected return. Then, there are brands like Sharp. In the 2010s, Sharp was a key contributor to LCD television manufacturing and was famous for its large-screen Aquos and Quattron models.
However, as time went on, Sharp’s presence in North America became increasingly fragmented. Between 2015 and 2018, Sharp actually licensed its television brand to Hisense, until it was acquired by Foxconn in 2019; following this, Sharp resumed the production and sale of its own televisions. It may seem like Sharp has been flourishing since then, but the truth is a bit more complicated.
In March 2024, Sharp revealed that it was completely ceasing its large-screen LCD panel production and would transform its extensive manufacturing facility in Sakai, Japan, into a data center. Concurrently, Sharp also declared that it would scale back on small panel production at its other global locations.