OSAKA, Japan—For the first time since 2015, U.S. customers will be able to purchase a Sharp designed and developed TV by the end of 2019. Sharp made the announcement as part of a new form of partnership with Hisense International American Investment Co.
Sharp left the U.S. market in 2015 due to troubled finances, signing a five-year licensing deal with Hisense. After being acquired by Foxconn in 2017, Sharp unsuccessfully attempted to buy back the brand. Sharp moved on to legal action, claiming patent violations and that Hisense was hurting the brand by marketing lesser-quality TVs. Sharp ended up dropping its legal actions in 2018.
This new partnership with Hisense brings the license back to Sharp, which says it plans to have its TVs available once again for U.S. customers in the second half of 2019.
In its official announcement, Sharp said it will “further accelerate transformation of its business to innovate the world with 8K/4K Ecosystem + 5G and AIoT.”
