Sky’s Proposed ITV Deal Gets Public-Interest Review

Sky’s proposed purchase of ITV’s Media & Entertainment business is subject to a public-interest review covering news, media ownership and programme availability, according to a government intervention notice dated 4 November 2026. The transaction remains conditional on regulatory approval.

ITV’s UK linear television channels and the ITVX service are included in the proposed acquisition, while ITV Studios is outside its scope. Sky announced the agreement on 6 July 2026, putting the purchase price at up to £1.6 billion.

The Public Interest Intervention Notice concerns the anticipated acquisition of ITV M&E Holdings Limited by Sky UK Limited. According to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy issued it using section 42 powers in the Enterprise Act 2002.

Under the notice, Ofcom is to assess three areas: freedom of expression within news media, whether UK markets retain enough diversity of news viewpoints, and whether there is sufficient diversity among those controlling media businesses that serve different audiences. These are matters for examination under the notice, rather than findings about the proposed transaction.

Programme availability forms another public-interest ground identified in the notice. It covers access throughout the UK to a wide selection of high-quality television and on-demand content catering to different tastes. Nandy said in a parliamentary statement that the Act does not currently specify the on-demand consideration. She announced plans for legislation extending the existing broadcasting test.

The notice sets a deadline of 5 p.m. on 27 January 2027 for reports from both regulators. The Competition and Markets Authority must address jurisdiction and competition, while Ofcom’s report must cover the media public-interest grounds.

In the parliamentary statement, Nandy said the decision on whether to refer the transaction for a fuller CMA investigation would come after receipt of those reports. That referral decision would be taken under section 45 of the Act.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.