Samsung outclassed Hisense in the Q1 2026 Mini LED TV market in North America, ahead of the FIFA World Cup, when seasonal shopping began.

When the FIFA World Cup 2026 opened on June 11, it also triggered a spending cycle that’s already reshaping the Mini LED segment in ways nobody quite predicted last year.

According to Counterpoint Research, Samsung surged to 40% of the North American Mini LED market in Q1 2026, while Hisense dropped to 27%.

Samsung did it on product, not sponsorship. The new Micro RGB lineup, the R95H and R85H, starting at $1,499.99, compresses what a $30,000, 115-inch proposition into a range ordinary consumers can actually buy.

The M-Series, starting at $330, is Samsung’s first genuine value Mini LED play, the kind of entry-level strike that signals a company defending territory, not just premium shelf space.

Hisense isn’t sitting still: it’s an official FIFA World Cup sponsor and the exclusive supplier of VAR review displays. Its RGB Mini LED lineup, the UR9 and UR8 starting at $1,300, plus the U7 series, lands inside the tournament window.

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Samsung counters with software; free FIFA+ content on Samsung TV Plus, Vision AI features across the lineup, and an AI Soccer Mode Pro on the Micro RGB sets. Pre-tournament retail promotions went up to $1,500 off.

Bob O’Brien, Research Director at Counterpoint Research, said:

“Samsung dominated the MiniLED category for years but may have been caught napping as Hisense introduced value-focused big-screen MiniLEDs. Samsung has responded with a product line that competes at all price points.”

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