Fri, 07 Nov 2025

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 ITV in talks to sell television business to Sky

The talks focus on ITV's free-to-air channels as well as its streaming service, ITV X.

* ITV is in "preliminary" discussions with Sky to sell its broadcasting business, including its free-to-air TV channels and ITV X streaming service, for £1.6bn.
* The deal would not include ITV Studios, which produces popular shows like Love Island and I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here, but could lead to the loss of these shows as Sky would have to bid alongside rival companies for contracts.
* A combination of Sky and ITV would give them "70% plus" of the UK TV advertising market, raising concerns about dominance and competition issues.
* Media analysts say that with rising competition from streaming services, a takeover could be seen as a rescue deal rather than an anti-competitive move.
* ITV's production arm, ITV Studios, is considered a desirable operation and has been the subject of takeover talks in the past.
* The deal would likely face scrutiny from regulators due to concerns about market dominance and competition issues.
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