The government has ordered a formal public-interest review of Sky’s proposed £1.6 billion acquisition of ITV’s broadcasting and streaming business, citing concerns over media plurality, freedom of expression and the range of programmes available to UK viewers.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy issued a Public Interest Intervention Notice on 4 November 2026. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and Ofcom must report to her by 5pm on 27 January 2027. The intervention does not block the proposed deal or prejudge the regulators’ findings.
What is Sky proposing to buy?
The proposed transaction would bring ITV’s media and entertainment business, including its television channels and ITVX streaming service, under Sky UK. ITV Studios, the production business behind numerous television programmes, is excluded from the sale.
Sky is owned by Comcast. The companies argue that combining their broadcasting and streaming operations would create a stronger competitor to international streaming services.
Why has the government intervened?
Nandy’s intervention identifies potential public-interest questions about freedom of expression in news media, the diversity of viewpoints available to audiences and the number of independently controlled media businesses serving the public.
The review will examine the potential consequences of combining the businesses, rather than assume that their newsrooms would lose editorial independence.
The government also wants to consider whether viewers would continue to have access to a broad range of high-quality programmes. Nandy has said she intends to introduce legislation extending an existing public-interest test for broadcasting to on-demand programmes.
What will the CMA and Ofcom investigate?
The CMA will report on competition and jurisdictional matters. Ofcom will assess the specified media public-interest considerations, including plurality and freedom of expression.
Once both reports have been received, Nandy will decide whether to refer the transaction for a more detailed investigation. There is no final decision on approval or rejection at this stage.
What have Sky and ITV said?
Sky says the combination is in the public interest and has pointed to commitments to protect ITV’s identity, public-service broadcasting responsibilities and the distinct editorial voices of Sky News and ITV News. ITV has said it will cooperate with the review.
What happens next?
The immediate deadline is 27 January 2027. The government has promised to update Parliament after considering the regulators’ reports. Whether additional safeguards or a deeper investigation will be required remains unknown.
