‘Scale is survival’: UK broadcasters race to merge as streaming giants squeeze revenues Media British broadcasters are turning to mergers as television revenues come under pressure from streaming services, YouTube and online ads, according to Ofcom. The media regulator’s annual Media Nations report found commercial broadcaster revenues fell from £4.98bn to £4.83bn in 2025, despite the wider TV and online video market growing seven per cent to £18.4bn. Growth [...]
Sky and ITV mount defence of £1.6bn merger as regulators probe deal Media Sky and ITV will argue their proposed £1.6bn merger controls only around a fifth of Britain’s advertising market as they seek to convince competition regulators to approve one of the biggest media deals in decades, City AM understands. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on Wednesday invited comments on Sky’s planned acquisition of ITV’s Media [...]
Sky’s ITV takeover could be tonic for Premier League media rights value Sport Business Sky’s proposed takeover of ITV is widely expected to mean more sport on free-to-air channels in the UK, but wider consolidation in the media market could also have a significant impact on the value of sports broadcast rights. A combined Sky and ITV would, if approved by regulators, create an even more powerful player in [...]
ITV says ‘no guarantees’ on jobs after £1.6bn Sky deal July 6, 2026 ITV and Sky executives have said they can make no guarantees on job cuts after the two companies announced a £1.6bn merger on Monday. Employees of ITV have been warned the tie-up between Britain’s two biggest commercial broadcasters could lead to redundancies, and there are “no guarantees” over their jobs. Speaking after the acquisition was [...]
Sky buys ITV broadcasting arm in £1.6bn deal July 6, 2026 Sky has confirmed it will take over ITV’s broadcasting arm for £1.6bn, in a move the media giant says will safeguard its role as a public service broadcaster. The US-owned broadcaster said on Monday it will pay £1.6bn in total for ITV Media and Entertainment, which include its free-to-air TV channels in the UK and [...]
Sky owner Comcast announces plan to split June 29, 2026 Comcast, the US media behemoth which owns Sky TV, has announced plans to split in two. The deal comes just as Sky is agreeing terms of a multi-billion-pound acquisition of part of ITV, which would unite the UK’s biggest pay-TV provider with the channels and streaming platform of its dominant free-to-air service. London traders looked unperturbed at [...]
Fifa boss Infantino pips PSG chief Al-Khelaifi in City AM Football Power List June 4, 2026 Fifa president Gianni Infantino has topped the inaugural City AM Football Power List, a week before the biggest ever men’s World Cup is due to kick off. The ranking, compiled with a 16-strong panel of expert judges drawn from across the sports industry, is designed to be a snapshot of who controls the most popular [...]
City AM Football Power List 2026: Who really runs the world’s most popular sport? June 4, 2026 The City AM Football Power List seeks to answer a simple question: ahead of the 2026 World Cup, who really runs the planet’s favourite sport? To answer it, we assembled a panel of experts from across the sports industry and picked their brains for nominations and, ultimately, a top 25. You can read more about [...]
ITV banks on World Cup boost as Sky talks rumble on May 14, 2026 ITV is eyeing a rebound in ad revenue in the second quarter as the broadcaster bets on the World Cup to power a summer recovery. The broadcaster and producer behind Love Island and Rivals posted flat revenue for the first quarter, with growth in ITV Studios and streaming platform ITVX offsetting weaker ad sales. Total [...]
Premier League +, VPN piracy and lessons from Norway and France March 28, 2026 The Premier League is built on its precious media rights but will its new streaming service be susceptible to the piracy that just scuppered a similar service in Norway? In less than five months’ time the Premier League will take one of the most significant steps in its history when it launches its own direct-to-consumer [...]