Sky's talks to acquire ITV slow down

ITV said in November 2025 that it was in talks to sell its media and entertainment unit to Comcast-owned Sky for £1.6bn.

Citing three people with knowledge of the matter, Reuters stated that the reasons for the slow negotiations include the challenges of separating the media and entertainment unit from the ITV Studios business, which makes hit shows such as Coronation Street and Love Island.

Comcast has also been considering how the potential takeover of rival Warner Bros. Discovery by Netflix or Paramount Skydance may change the media landscape, the report said.

According to the report, news of the Sky-ITV talks was made public earlier than planned, and both sides expected that negotiations would take time, but they still hope for a deal.

Reuters also said that Comcast sees a potential tie-up as a way to help it compete with leading UK streaming platforms such as Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+.

Comcast spun off most of its cable-TV assets, including USA Network and CNBC, into a new company, named Versant, in January 2026. However, its share price has dropped heavily since its market debut. Reuters said that this has also been a point of consideration for some of those involved in the talks.

Sky recently announced "world-first" plans to bring together several leading streaming platforms as part of a single TV subscription package. Discover more here.