UK “minded to intervene” in Sky-ITV deal

Nandy said the potential intervention would be based on public interest grounds, saying that there were reasonable grounds to believe the deal could affect free expression in the media and the range of views in the UK’s news media.

Both broadcasters are key providers of television news through ITV News and Sky News.

Nandy also cited the need for a wide range of broadcasting and on-demand programmes “of high quality and calculated to appeal to a wide variety of tastes and interests” to be available throughout the UK.

Comcast-owned Sky announced in July 2026 that it had agreed to buy ITV's broadcasting business, including its free-to-air TV channels and the ITV X streaming service.

The deal does not include ITV's production arm, ITV Studios, which makes shows and programmes such as Love Island and I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here.

Both companies have argued that the merger will help them to compete with streamers such as Netflix and Amazon.

In a letter to both companies, Nandy recognised that Sky News and ITV News were two of the most prominent sources of television news in the UK, with a joint 26% share of viewers.

Consumers would still have access to other sources of news such as the BBC and Channel 4, it added.

Sky and ITV have been given until 20 October 2026 to respond to the culture secretary's concerns.

The next stage would be for Ofcom to assess and report to Nandy on the public interest considerations, and for the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to assess the merger’s impact on competition.

Nandy also recently warned that she was “minded to intervene” in Paramount’s $110bn acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, until she reversed the decision after Paramount’s “legally binding commitments” related to its footprint in UK broadcasting, on-demand entertainment, and UK news provision. Discover more here.