UK culture secretary intervenes in Sky's £1.6bn takeover bid for ITV's media arm

Government steps in

On Wednesday, 4 November 2026, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said she will intervene in Sky's planned £1.6 billion ($2.2 billion) deal to take over the media and entertainment arm of ITV. Sky is the UK-based TV, internet and mobile phone provider owned by Comcast. Nandy said she will introduce legislation creating a new public interest consideration for streamers, covering on-demand programmes as well as broadcasting. She will ask the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to review the takeover on competition grounds and Ofcom to review it on media public interest grounds, with both reports due by 27 January 2027. Only after receiving them will she decide whether to refer the deal to the CMA for a further in-depth investigation.

Nandy pointed to her written statement of 15 October and said:

“I believe that this consideration should be modified to apply to on-demand programmes as well as broadcasting in line with modern viewing habits and my specific concerns regarding this merger.”

The deal and its structure

The takeover was announced in June and includes ITV's terrestrial television channels and its streaming service. ITV Studios, the production arm behind shows such as "I'm A Celebrity", would remain an independent company. If the deal is approved, the combined Sky-ITV entity would become part of NBCUniversal after Comcast completes its split. Sky has promised that ITV's channels will remain free and that ITV News and Sky News will keep their independence. ITV is the UK's largest commercial broadcaster.

Competition and media concerns

The government fears the deal could concentrate too much power in one television group and reduce the diversity of news and programmes. The Competition and Markets Authority will check whether the deal would weaken competition in the media market, while Ofcom will examine the consequences for the public. Officials will also check whether British audiences keep access to a varied range of television programmes and streaming services. The two companies estimate annual savings of about £200 million from cutting shared costs. Sky has warned that the reorganisation could bring job cuts, especially in departments where the two businesses overlap, but no figure has been announced.

Review timeline

The deal has not been blocked; it has moved into a formal review stage. The CMA and Ofcom reports are due by 27 January 2027, after which Nandy will decide whether a wider investigation is needed and report her conclusions to Parliament. The sequence of dates so far is below.