Consolidation and competition reshape digital signage industry amid ASEAN shift
The digital signage and ProAV industry is undergoing a structural transformation, driven by a wave of strategic acquisitions and a shifting competitive balance in Southeast Asia. Panasonic Projector & Display has acquired UK-based Hive Media Control in full, bringing the media playback and control specialist into its fold while allowing it to operate as a standalone, vendor-neutral entity. The move underscores Panasonic's deliberate pivot from a hardware-centric manufacturer toward a visual solutions ecosystem provider that can serve customers across the full workflow — from content playback and control through to deployment and operation. "We are inspired and honored by the opportunity to work with Panasonic, while continuing to grow Hive as an open and independent ecosystem," said Mark Calvert, co-founder and CEO of Hive Media.
The consolidation trend extends beyond Panasonic. British ProAV and digital signage provider IUF has acquired UK-based AV integrator Project Audio Visual through a pre-pack deal, absorbing it into a newly formed IUF Workplaces division dedicated to connected workplace solutions. Meanwhile, Swedish systems integrator Zetadisplay has completed its third acquisition in the DACH market, picking up Berlin-based Retailmediatools, a retail media SaaS infrastructure platform. The deal reinforces Zetadisplay's full-service positioning in digital signage and retail media — a segment that has become a vital growth engine for the industry in recent years.
On the exhibition front, the competitive dynamics are equally striking. At Infocomm Asia 2026 in Bangkok, the absence of major display brands Samsung, LG and other established players left the floor open for Chinese manufacturers to assert their ambitions. Skyworth unveiled a surprisingly broad digital signage portfolio spanning LCD displays from 22 to 98 inches for indoor and outdoor use, alongside video wall solutions, kiosks and two proprietary content management platforms. Its 42-page product catalogue illustrated just how far the company has evolved from its challenger-brand origins.
BOE matched that breadth while drawing particular attention with its nearly 32-inch E-Paper display, a sign that the technology has entered the mainstream digital signage space with strong image quality and sleek design. The company also impressed visitors with a refined 32-inch Slim Line display that elevates a typically overlooked entry-level category through careful attention to industrial design, bezel dimensions and installation depth.
The message from Bangkok is that the traditional display hierarchy is no longer a given. Chinese vendors, already dominant in LED — where China accounts for roughly half of global sales — are now making serious inroads in LCD signage across Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. As incumbents face pressure on multiple fronts, the convergence of M&A activity and emerging competition is setting the stage for a fundamentally different industry landscape.