Sharp Licenses Elite Brand Name from Pioneer

Pioneer's decision to halt the product of Kuro plasma displays has left many customers disappointed (after all, they offered a very good level of quality), but it seems that the Elite brand, associated to the respective displays, might be back, following a licensing deal between Sharp and Pioneer.

Unfortunately, though, we won't be talking about Kuro PDPs brought back to life by Sharp, but just about an LCD TV line that will be marketed by both companies under the Elite brand, that currently also includes some high-end audio/video receivers, Blu-ray Disc players and speakers from Pioneer.

The deal will only be valid for the US and Canada, and the new Elite HDTVs by Sharp will be retailed via Pioneer’s authorized Elite dealer network.

“As a leader in large screen LCD TV, we are excited to collaborate with Pioneer to bring a high-end LCD TV to the Elite consumer,” said John Herrington, President of Sharp Electronics Marketing Company of America, who also added that “the Elite brand is highly respected in the high end market and Sharp can deliver the quality and innovation that Elite customers demand.”

“Adding a line of high-end flat panel TVs fills a market need in the industry and will help reinforce the strength of a complete Elite home theater offering,” commented Russ Johnston, Executive VP, Home Electronics Department, Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc.

“With its cutting edge LCD technology and unmatched production capabilities, Sharp is an important strategic collaborator that will deliver a whole new dimension to the large-screen home theater experience,” Mr. Johnston concluded.

Naturally, the two companies have not provided any info on the amount of money that exchanged hands (or bank accounts) in order for this deal to go through, but, most likely, we're not talking about petty cash here.