Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has formally intervened in Sky's proposed £1.6 billion takeover of ITV, citing public interest grounds related to media plurality and free expression. The intervention means the deal could be blocked.
Nandy announced her decision to issue a Public Interest Intervention Notice (PIIN) in a statement to Parliament, indicating that the merger raises concerns about the variety of Britain's news landscape and the extent of Sky's potential control over media outlets. "My decision to issue a PIIN relates to concerns I have that public interest considerations specified in section 58 of the Enterprise Act 2002 may be relevant to the anticipated merger and that these considerations warrant further investigation," Nandy stated.
ITV agreed to the sale of its media and entertainment arm to Sky in July, following months of negotiations. The deal, which has been under discussion since late 2025, would see Sky acquire ITV's terrestrial TV channels and its streaming service, ITVX. ITV is legally obligated to provide a free-to-air service until at least 2034 under its public service broadcasting license.
The proposed takeover will now be reviewed by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for competition-related issues and by the regulator Ofcom, which will assess public interest matters. Both bodies have until January 27, 2027, to submit their findings to Nandy. "Following these reports, I will need to decide whether to refer the matter for a more detailed investigation by the CMA under section 45 of the Act," she added.
Nandy had previously expressed reservations about the deal, stating last month that she was "minded to intervene." Her concerns center on the potential impact on the breadth of news providers and Sky's consolidated influence in the media sector. Nandy also confirmed plans to introduce new legislation, as existing laws do not adequately address the implications of such mergers on streaming and on-demand services.
The culture secretary could block the proposed tie-up between Sky and ITV