LONDON, England — Britain’s culture secretary has told Sky and ITV that she is minded to intervene in Sky’s proposed £1.6 billion acquisition of ITV’s broadcast channels and streaming business, citing potential effects on news plurality, regional programming, sports access and free on-demand television.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport published the notice Thursday. It says Secretary of State Lisa Nandy is considering a public-interest intervention notice that would require reports from the United Kingdom media regulator Ofcom and the Competition and Markets Authority.
No final intervention decision has been made. Sky and ITV have until 9 a.m. London time Tuesday, October 20, to respond before Nandy decides whether to issue the notice, according to her statement to Parliament.
The government’s nine-page letter says a combined Sky and ITV would account for roughly one-third of British linear television viewing minutes and an estimated 60% of live linear sports viewing. It also identifies possible risks to ITV’s regional news operations, the continued availability of free-to-air sports and free access to programming on ITVX. Those are concerns for regulatory review, not findings that Sky or ITV plans to make those changes.
The letter acknowledges commitments from the companies to keep ITV and ITVX free to access and maintain ITV’s public-service obligations, including regional and national news, through 2034. It also says there is no indication that Comcast or NBCUniversal currently intends to restrict editorial expression at Sky News or ITV News.
Sky said the transaction would strengthen British media competition while protecting ITV’s identity, free-to-air services and separate editorial voices, Reuters reported. ITV called the scrutiny an expected step in the review. The deal remains incomplete, and the government has not determined whether to send it for a more detailed investigation.
Radio News Now question: If regulators permit the deal, what enforceable protections will preserve ITV’s regional newsrooms, free streaming access and free-to-air sports?