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Amazon has quickly become a household name for smart TVs and streaming devices. The company’s Fire TV software is licensed by several TV manufacturers, so it’s not uncommon to see some of the most popular TV brands, such as Toshiba and Hisense, utilizing the Fire TV platform. But let’s forget all the third parties for a minute: What company actually produces Amazon’s first-party Fire TVs (the ones branded as Amazon products), and where are these TV sets manufactured? The company is likely TCL, but you’ll have a hard time finding any year-to-date evidence of this partnership.
Unfortunately, Amazon is extremely tight-lipped about its first-party manufacturing process, especially as it relates to contractual partnerships for TV production. One thing we can say for sure is that Amazon definitely doesn’t make its own streaming devices. Back in February 2021, Amazon joined forces with a Foxconn-owned subsidiary called Cloud Network Technology, with the agreement being that the latter would produce the former’s Fire TV Sticks.
As for Amazon-branded Fire TVs, in September 2021, Amazon claimed its TVs were being manufactured in-house. But further reporting around the time of this announcement seems to indicate that TCL and other brands were involved in the production process.
TCL probably makes most Amazon-branded Fire TVs
There’s a good chance that TCL is the wizard behind Amazon’s first-party Fire TV sorcery. A Consumer Reports article even mentions design similarities between both brands, a bread-crumb trail only furthered by this Best Buy Q&A post from 2023, under its Flat-Screen TVs category. When asked who makes Amazon TVs, an Amazon Devices Customer Support associate gave this response: “The Omni Series is part of the first lineup of Amazon-branded smart TVs. We worked with established brands, such as TCL, to bring these TVs to life!”
This Ars Technica piece, published around the time of Amazon’s September 2021 Fire TV announcement, also names TCL as one of a few third parties responsible for Amazon’s in-house production, with the other manufacturers remaining a mystery. While TCL has yet to say anything official about this matter, these theories check out because TCL has contracted with other TV companies in the past for manufacturing purposes.
Interestingly, just like Amazon, TCL produces a 4-Series lineup of budget-friendly TVs, and the company also utilizes Amazon’s Fire TV platform on some of its models. Perhaps a bit of corporate synergy?
Where are Amazon Fire TVs manufactured?
While neither Amazon, TCL, nor any third-party sources have dropped any recent news about who exactly is producing Amazon’s first-party TVs, we’re willing to bet that Amazon is still in cahoots with TCL. This would mean that TCL Holdings — the company’s TV production division — would be responsible for producing first-party Amazon sets.
As far as where these TVs are produced throughout the world, TCL Holdings is in over 160 global markets, including a presence in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. TCL also uses many subsidiaries, including MOKA Manufacturing Centers in China, North America, Europe, and India (to make things even more confusing).
These factories often deal with Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) contracts, which is precisely the type of partnership Amazon and TCL have had in years past. Perhaps, one day, all of this ‘who makes what’ business will become far more transparent. As for now, we can only speculate based on what the past has taught us.
