UK culture secretary Lisa Nandy 'minded to intervene' in £1.6bn Sky-ITV deal

Mixed · 2UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said on 15 October 2026 that she is "minded to intervene" in Sky's £1.6bn ($2.1bn) deal to take over ITV. 1 2 Mixed · 2Her notice cites public interest considerations: the need for free expression of opinion in news media, and for a sufficient plurality of views in news media. 1 2 Mixed · 2Deadline also lists the need for a wide range of broadcasting and on-demand programmes to be available throughout the UK. Variety lists a sufficient plurality of persons with control of media enterprises serving various areas of the UK, which it says in effect means local news. 1 2

Mixed · 2Nandy stressed that she has not made a final decision. Sky and ITV have until 20 October to respond to her notice, and she said she will update parliament shortly. 1 2 Mixed · 2The next step would potentially be an intervention notice. Ofcom would then assess and report on the public interest considerations, and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) would assess whether a relevant merger situation has been created that would damage competition. Nandy could then refer the deal for a more detailed CMA investigation. 1 2 Centre · 1Deadline reports that Nandy is also considering bringing forward legislation to extend the last of these considerations to streaming, saying it "was drafted at a time where viewing was largely via broadcast linear channels." 1

Mixed · 2Both outlets note that Nandy previously said she was "minded to intervene" on the Paramount-Skydance acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, then let it go through. Variety places this a few weeks into Andy Burnham's premiership; Deadline says the deal completed in the US last week. 1 2 Mixed · 2Under the deal, ITV Studios would be separated from the broadcaster and ITVX as a standalone listed company, and would not be part of the merged entity. 2 1 Mixed · 2The outlets differ on when the deal was struck and on Sky's ownership: Deadline says it was announced late last year and that Sky was spun out of Comcast under the NBCUniversal umbrella earlier this year, while Variety says Comcast-owned Sky struck the deal in July. 1 2

Left · 1Variety adds that former ITV chair Sir Peter Bazalgette told it earlier this year that government policy had become more favourable to media consolidation, saying Sky and ITV together hold only a 20 to 30% market share. It says it remains to be seen whether Burnham, who replaced Keir Starmer, takes the same view. 2