TCL was founded in 1981 in Huizhou, Guangdong, China as a cassette tape manufacturer. The company's name originally stood for "Telephone Communication Limited" when it expanded into telephone products in the 1980s. Li Dongsheng joined the company in 1981 and became its leader, guiding its transformation from a small manufacturer into a major electronics company.
TCL expanded into color televisions in the 1990s and became one of China's leading domestic television brands. The company went public on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in 1993 (later moving to Shanghai).
TCL made a major international expansion in 2004 when it acquired the television and DVD businesses of Thomson (a French electronics company) and the mobile phone business of Alcatel. These acquisitions gave TCL the RCA and Thomson television brands and established it as one of the world's largest television manufacturers. However, the Thomson acquisition proved challenging, and TCL restructured the joint venture in 2007.
TCL established CSOT (China Star Optoelectronics Technology) in 2009 as a joint venture to manufacture LCD panels, reducing its dependence on external panel suppliers. CSOT has grown into one of the world's largest LCD panel manufacturers.
TCL entered the US market aggressively in the 2010s, offering large-screen televisions at significantly lower prices than Samsung and LG. The company's partnership with Roku, which provides the smart TV operating system for TCL Roku TVs, has been particularly successful in the United States.
At CES 2026, TCL showcased its X11L Series, the world's first TV powered by SQD-Mini LED technology, featuring 100% BT.2020 color accuracy, peak brightness up to 10,000 nits, and 20,000 local dimming zones. The company won more than 50 awards at CES 2026.
For fiscal year 2024, TCL reported revenue of approximately $23 billion.