Lisa Nandy considers intervention in Sky’s £1.6bn ITV deal
The culture secretary has raised concerns about news plurality and programming choice as Sky seeks to buy ITV’s broadcasting and streaming business.
UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said on 15 October 2026 that she was minded to intervene in Sky’s proposed £1.6bn purchase of ITV’s broadcasting and streaming business. The move could bring the deal before competition and media regulators because of concerns about news plurality and the range of programmes available to viewers.
Nandy has told Sky and ITV that she is considering a public interest intervention notice. If she issues one, the Competition and Markets Authority and Ofcom would investigate. The companies have until 20 October 2026 to respond to her concerns; no intervention notice has yet been issued in the reported process.
Why the Sky–ITV deal faces scrutiny
Nandy identified freedom of expression in news media, the plurality of views and media controllers, and the availability of a wide range of broadcasting or on-demand programmes as public-interest considerations. Her letter described Sky News and ITV News as prominent television news sources. According to the BBC’s account of the letter, they account for a combined 26% of viewing of news on linear television.
The BBC also reported that the letter put 86% of the linear television news market under the control of the BBC and Sky/ITV. It raised the possibility that viewers in northern England, other UK nations and lower socioeconomic groups could be particularly affected over time.
The BBC reported a legal limit on one of the concerns: extending the public-interest consideration to the effect of a merger on streaming or on-demand programmes would require legislation, because current law does not cover that effect.
What Sky is buying and how the companies responded
Announced in July 2026, the proposed acquisition covers ITV’s broadcasting and streaming operation, including its free-to-air channels and ITVX. ITV Studios, the company’s production arm, is outside the deal. Sky is owned by Comcast, and the Guardian reported that Sky had described the purchase as an opportunity to create a UK-focused national streaming champion.
Sky said it would consider Nandy’s letter and engage constructively. According to the BBC, it pointed to commitments concerning ITV’s identity, free-to-air services and public-service obligations, as well as the distinct editorial voices of ITV News and Sky News. ITV welcomed the letter, said the deal could help it compete with global streaming platforms and said it would cooperate with the process.
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Sources and context
- Lisa Nandy ‘minded to intervene’ in Sky’s £1.6bn purchase of ITVThe Guardian
- Nandy 'minded to intervene' in Sky's £1.6bn takeover of ITV entertainment armBBC News
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.