ITV, the UK’s largest commercial public service broadcaster, has confirmed rumours that it is in talks to sell its media and entertainment business to Sky. Under the terms of the deal, ITV’s production and distribution arm would not be sold and would become a separate entity.
If the proposed deal – which will be subject to intense scrutiny from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority – is successful, Sky’s parent company Comcast would control over 70% of the UK’s linear TV ad market.
Such a move would be the most significant shake-up to the UK’s AV landscape in years. As Comcast, which also owns NBCUniversal and other properties, is US-owned, the deal would mean the two largest UK-owned broadcasters – BBC and Channel 4 – are both owned by the government.
The news comes after ITV forecasted that total ad revenue would decline by 9% in Q4 2025.
