Samsung Electronics has overtaken China's Hisense to reclaim the top spot in North America's mini-LED TV market, riding pre-World Cup demand into the first quarter of the year.

According to Counterpoint Research's Quarterly Global TV Shipments Tracker, Samsung held a 40% share of North American mini-LED TV shipments in the first quarter, against Hisense's 27%. It was a sharp reversal: across 2025, Hisense had edged Samsung 32% to 31% for the lead. Counterpoint noted that Samsung had dominated mini-LED for years but was caught flat-footed as Hisense pushed value-focused big-screen models — making the first-quarter rebound, by a 13-point margin, a pointed answer. As with any single research firm's tracker, the figures are one read on a fast-moving market, but the direction is unambiguous.

Why the Timing Is No Accident

Competition has intensified ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which kicked off June 11 and is co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with TV demand expected to concentrate in June and July. Counterpoint's Bob O'Brien called mini-LED a strong fit for sports, given its high brightness and wide color range.

There is a real reason for that fit. A mini-LED set packs thousands of tiny backlight LEDs into many independently controlled dimming zones behind the LCD panel, which lets it push very high peak brightness while keeping dark areas dark. On a sunlit pitch with fast motion and bright kit, that combination renders the green field, the ball, and HDR highlights cleanly even in a brightly lit living room — exactly the conditions a World Cup audience watches under.

The Second Quarter Is the Real Test

A first-quarter lead, though, is a snapshot taken before the whistle. Counterpoint expects Q2 to decide the year's race, because two forces collide in it: Hisense's habit of ramping shipments around its second-quarter product launches, and the tournament demand peaking in June and July. The quarter now underway, not the one Samsung just won, is where the contest is actually settled.

Hisense has tied its strategy most directly to the event. An official World Cup sponsor and the exclusive supplier of video assistant referee (VAR) displays, it timed its RGB mini-LED UR9 and UR8 line, from $1,299.99, and its U7 series to the tournament — bringing a technology that debuted only last year on a $30,000, roughly 116-inch halo model down to mainstream 55-to-100-inch sizes in a single product cycle.

Samsung's Answer: Premium, Value, and Platform

Samsung, which holds no FIFA sponsorship, answered on two fronts. At the top, its Micro RGB R95H and R85H sets, from $1,499.99, anchor the high end; at the entry level, its first mainstream mini-LED range, the M-Series (M80H and M70H, from $329.99), counters the Chinese value push. Lacking a sponsorship, Samsung is leaning on its platform instead: free FIFA+ programming on Samsung TV Plus, Vision AI features across the lineup including a new AI Soccer Mode Pro on its Micro RGB sets, and pre-tournament promotions of up to $1,500 off.

The two-pronged response is itself a tell. Samsung has long made its money at the premium end, so launching a budget mini-LED line at all signals how seriously it takes the value segment where Chinese brands have gained.

A Regional Win Against the Global Grain

The North American result runs against the worldwide pattern, where Chinese brands lead mini-LED. TCL, Hisense, and Xiaomi together hold roughly 54% of global mini-LED shipments, built on supply-chain integration and aggressive pricing — which is precisely why Samsung rolled out an entry-level mini-LED line this year. Seen that way, Samsung's first-quarter North American lead is a regional counter-punch rather than a turn in the broader war, and the World Cup quarter will show whether it can hold the home market while the global balance still tilts the other way.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a mini-LED TV?

A mini-LED TV is an LCD television that uses thousands of very small LED backlights, grouped into many independently controlled local-dimming zones. Because the set can brighten or dim each zone precisely, it delivers higher peak brightness and better contrast than conventional LED-backlit LCDs, approaching some of the qualities of OLED while using a different, often cheaper, technology.

Who leads the mini-LED TV market?

It depends on the region. In North America, Counterpoint Research says Samsung led with 40% of mini-LED shipments in the first quarter of 2026, ahead of Hisense at 27%. Globally, however, Chinese brands lead: TCL, Hisense, and Xiaomi together hold roughly 54% of worldwide mini-LED shipments.

Why are mini-LED TVs good for watching sports?

Mini-LED's high peak brightness and fine local dimming render bright scenes, fast motion, and HDR highlights well even in well-lit rooms — the typical conditions for watching a live match. That is why analysts describe the technology as a strong fit for events like the World Cup, and why both Samsung and Hisense timed mini-LED marketing to the tournament.

How is Samsung competing without a World Cup sponsorship?

Unlike Hisense, an official FIFA sponsor, Samsung is leaning on products and its platform. It launched premium Micro RGB sets and an entry-level M-Series mini-LED line, and it is offering free FIFA+ programming on Samsung TV Plus, AI-based soccer viewing modes, and pre-tournament discounts of up to $1,500 to attract World Cup TV buyers.