April 2011
Case
HBS Case Collection

Samsung and Google TV

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell, Prithvi Raj and Crystal Jean Marrie

Format:Print
| Pages:22

Abstract

This case describes Samsung's decision on how to pursue the growing market opportunity for internet-connected televisions, which enable consumers to access a range of web-based content including basic information (e.g. stock quotes, weather, news headlines, RSS feeds, etc.) and video media (e.g. YouTube videos, television episodes, movies) that is available on the internet. By late 2010, this market had exploded with a number of different players; while Samsung was the market leader with its Internet@TV solution, Google had also entered the space with Google TV, a software platform that would enable internet access from the TV, which could be licensed by TV and device manufacturers to include in their products. Key industry players, such as Sony, had thrown their support behind Google TV and had already begun releasing Google TV devices. Samsung needed to decide whether they would double down on their existing Internet@TV efforts, abandon Internet@TV and instead focus on Google TV, or try to pursue both in parallel.