In 1927 The Baird Television Development Company was established to acquire the rights to John Logie Baird's television system from Television Ltd of Motorgraph House. Baird's factory was based at Long Acre in London.

In 1928 Baird made the first transatlantic television transmission, from London to Hartsdale, New York; the BBC decided that the system was not ready for experimental transmission from its transmitters. Later in 1928 Baird International Television Ltd was incorporated as a public company that would have a controlling interest in the Development Company including a range of other inventions including Noctovision (infra-red vision), Phonovision on gramophone records, facsimile telegraphy.

In 1929 the BBC agreed to start experimental broadcasts outside normal broadcast hours. The BBC transmitters were used to broadcast television programmes using the 30-line Baird system from 1929 to 1932. Plessey Co manufactured the first production televisions for Baird.

In 1930 The International Company would absorb the Development Company; a new name would be given to the company: Baird Television Ltd. From 1932 to 1935, the BBC also produced the programmes in their own studio at 16 Portland Place.

In 1936 the BBC began transmitting Baird 240-line transmissions alternated with the Marconi-EMI Television Co's electronic scanning system which had recently been improved to 405 lines. The Baird system at the time involved an intermediate film process, where footage was shot on cine film which was rapidly developed and scanned.

The company had access to Philo T. Farnsworth's electronic "Image Dissector" camera via a patent-sharing agreement. However, the Image Dissector camera was found to be lacking in light sensitivity, requiring excessive levels of illumination. Baird used the Farnsworth tubes instead to scan cine film, in which capacity they proved serviceable through prone to dropouts and other problems. Farnsworth himself came to London to Baird's Crystal Palace laboratories in 1936 but was unable to fully solve the problem; the fire that burned the Palace to the ground later that year further hampered the Baird company's ability to compete.

The BBC ceased broadcasting with the Baird system in February 1937. In 1938 Baird Television Ltd worked with Gaumont-British to equip large theatres and cinemas. In 1939 Baird Television Ltd announced that from June they would undertake all manufacturing themselves and cease working with Bush Radio.

In 1940 Baird Television Ltd was acquired by Cinema-Television Ltd (part of Gaumont British).

In 1948 Scophony Ltd acquired John Logie Baird Ltd and its associate company W. Andrew Bryce and Co of Lancelot Rd, Wembley; a new factory was opened at Wells and expansion of television production at the Wembley factory. In 1949 Scophony Ltd became Scophony-Baird Ltd, of Lancelot Road, Wembley, Middlesex.

In 1949 W. Andrew Bryce and Co and John Logie Baird Ltd were voluntarily wound-up.

In September 1952, Scophony-Baird Ltd changed its name to Baird Television Ltd. In 1954 Baird Television Ltd acquired Hartley Electromotives Ltd and renamed the company as Hartley Baird, who were proprietors of Baird Television Ltd.

In 1954 the company acquired Ambassador Radio and Television Ltd, and in 1957 a majority interest acquired by Camp Bird.

In 1959 Baird Television Ltd sold its interest in Ambassador Radio and Television and Telecast Rentals.

In 1960 Radio Rentals acquired the Baird Company. Radio Rentals changed the name of its manufacturing subsidiary in Bradford, Mains Radio Gramophone, to Baird Television, to emphasise its position in the manufacturing of televisions.