Sky to acquire ITV media division for around 1.9 billion euros

According to Sky, the strategic goal of the deal is to create a British streaming offering as competition for Netflix and the like. To this end, Sky is also committing to a five-year supply contract worth £2.1 billion. Both companies see this as a response to the growing pressure from global streaming platforms on the British market.

Strategy against Netflix and global competition

The newsrooms of the two broadcasters are to remain independent. In this way, Sky is responding to concerns regarding editorial independence. The move is also considered sensitive from a regulatory perspective: antitrust authorities and supervisory bodies are examining whether the stronger bundling of content and distribution will impair competition in the UK media market.

The news triggered restrained reactions on the financial markets. The ITV share rose by 1.22 percent on Monday at times to £0.8275. The Netflix share was quoted at $77.59 in pre-market NASDAQ trading, slipping slightly by 0.08 percent. Analysts read the development as a signal that the British streaming market is increasingly to be taken into domestic hands.

Market reactions and next steps

Completion of the transaction is subject to conditions: the agreement still has to be approved by the shareholders and by the responsible regulatory authorities. The takeover can only be formally completed once these reviews have been concluded.

For the British media landscape, however, the step is far-reaching. The combination of Sky's distribution and ITV's content creates a national provider that is to compete directly with international platforms. Industry observers see this as the most significant attempt so far to counter the advance of global streaming giants on the island market.

The timing of the deal comes at a time when traditional free-to-air broadcasters in the UK are suffering from declining advertising revenues and pressure from US streamers. With ITVX, ITV had already responded to the trend toward on-demand content – albeit so far with significantly smaller reach than Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.

APA, 6.7.2026