SEOUL, April 8 — The fierce rivalry between South Korea's tech giants, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, has erupted once again, this time focusing on the competitive landscape of premium OLED TVs as the market for AI-powered televisions heats up.

At Samsung's recent Unbox & Discover 2025 event in Seoul, Yong Seok-woo, the president of Samsung's Visual Display Division, boldly claimed that the company commands an impressive 60% share of the domestic OLED TV market for models sized 77 inches and above. This statement aims to bolster Samsung's position, asserting that it leads not just in South Korea but globally in the large-format OLED category.

However, LG quickly challenged these assertions, highlighting discrepancies with Samsung's claims. The company cited research from Omdia, which shows LG dominating the Asian market (excluding China and Japan) with a substantial 74.2% share in the 77-inch and larger segment, compared to Samsung's 20.9%. LG contends that Samsung's reliance on data from GfK may overlook crucial sales channels, including its own LG Best Shop and burgeoning subscription-based platforms.

Despite having entered the OLED market only three years ago, Samsung has made significant strides, escalating its global market share from a mere 3.1% in 2022 to an impressive 23.5% by 2024, according to Omdia. Samsung plans to introduce a full OLED product lineup ranging from 42 to 83 inches, all equipped with its Vision AI technology, designed to enhance the viewer's experience through smart features and improved picture quality.

Yong also indicated that Samsung intends to ramp up shipments, projecting to exceed the previous year’s total of 1.4 million OLED units, even amidst global economic challenges.

On the other hand, LG remains the reigning champion in the OLED TV segment, retaining its lead with a 52.4% share of global shipments last year, marking its 12th consecutive year atop the industry. However, Samsung's rapid growth and aggressive marketing strategies are narrowing the competitive gap, bringing the rivalry to a boiling point.

As the competition extends into the AI TV arena, Samsung strategically announced pre-orders for its 2025 AI TV lineup to coincide with LG’s new product reveals. In a responsive move, LG has already launched its AI-enabled OLED TVs in eight European countries, indicating that both companies are fully engaged in this high-stakes technology race.

Despite the ongoing tension over OLED TV market shares, Samsung continues to lead the overall global TV market by revenue for 19 consecutive years, holding a remarkable 28.3% share in 2024, while LG follows closely with a 16.1% share.

The relentless pursuit of advancement in premium television technology and the integration of AI suggests that this competition is set to escalate even further, leaving tech enthusiasts and consumers alike eagerly anticipating which company will emerge victorious in the battle for the future of television.