UK Minister Weighs Review of Sky’s £1.6bn ITV Deal
Lisa Nandy says the proposed takeover raises concerns about media variety and on-demand programming, with companies asked to respond by 20 October.
Key takeaways
- Lisa Nandy is minded to refer Sky’s proposed £1.6bn ITV deal for investigation.
- Sky and ITV have until 20 October to respond to her concerns.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is minded to intervene in Sky’s proposed £1.6bn purchase of ITV’s media and entertainment business, citing concerns about media variety and programming.
Nandy is considering issuing a public interest intervention notice to trigger an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority and Ofcom. Sky and ITV have until 20 October to respond.
Her letter says the deal could affect the range of views in news media and the variety of programmes available, including on on-demand platforms. The proposed purchase excludes ITV Studios, ITV’s production arm.
Sky said it would consider the letter and engage with the review. ITV said the deal would help it compete with global streaming platforms. Nandy said new legislation would be needed to extend public-interest rules to on-demand programmes.
This article was produced with the help of AI technology. Based on reporting by the outlets listed above.
