Nandy 'minded to intervene' in Sky-ITV deal

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy considers intervening in Sky-ITV deal

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Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has expressed her intention to intervene in the proposed £1.6bn deal for Sky to acquire ITV's media and entertainment division. According to a letter from Nandy to Sky and ITV, she is considering issuing a public interest intervention notice (PIIN) to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and regulator Ofcom.

The proposed deal would see Sky acquire ITV's broadcasting business, including its free-to-air TV channels and the ITV X streaming service. However, the deal does not include ITV's production arm, ITV Studios, which produces popular programmes such as Love Island and I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here.

Nandy has cited public interest considerations as the reason for her potential intervention. These include the need for free expression of opinion in news media, the need for a range of views in news media across the UK, and the need for a range of people controlling the media across the UK.

Sky has responded to Nandy's letter, stating that it will 'carefully consider' the culture secretary's concerns and 'engage constructively' with the review into the deal. ITV has also welcomed the letter, saying that the deal would help it 'compete with global streaming platforms, benefiting viewers, advertisers and the UK creative industries'.