ITV confirms talks to sell broadcasting arm to Sky in £1.6bn deal
Early‑stage talks confirmed
The broadcaster, best known for shows such as I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and Love Island, said it is in “early‑stage discussions” with Sky’s parent company Comcast.
The talks centre on ITV’s media and entertainment division, which includes its terrestrial TV channels and streaming service ITVX.
In a statement, ITV stressed there was “no certainty” that a deal would be agreed or that any transaction would take place.
ITV Studios not part of deal
The potential sale would not include ITV Studios, the production arm behind I’m A Celebrity and Mr Bates vs The Post Office. That division has itself been the subject of takeover speculation in recent years.
By separating its broadcasting and production businesses, ITV would be left focused on content creation, while Sky and Comcast would expand their broadcasting footprint across the UK and Europe.
Comcast at a glance
- Headquarters: Philadelphia, USA
- Founded: 1963
- Employees: Around 180,000 worldwide
- Market value: Over $150 billion
- UK presence: Bought Sky in 2018 for £30 billion
- Media assets: Owns NBCUniversal, Universal Pictures, and theme parks
- Business focus: Broadcasting, film, streaming, broadband, and telecommunications
Comcast’s ownership of Sky gave it a major foothold in the UK and Europe. A potential deal for ITV’s broadcasting arm would expand that presence further, combining Sky’s pay‑TV and streaming services with ITV’s free‑to‑air channels and ITVX.
Market reaction
News of the talks sent ITV shares soaring by as much as 19% in early trading on Friday. The surge came just a day after the company’s stock had fallen on the back of a warning about weaker advertising revenues.
ITV has said it expects ad revenues to fall around 9% in the final quarter of the year, as businesses hold back spending ahead of the Budget. The broadcaster also announced plans to cut £35 million in costs — £20 million by delaying programming and £15 million through reduced marketing.
Industry context
ITV has long been seen as a potential takeover target. Earlier this year, US private equity group RedBird IMI abandoned talks to buy ITV’s media division and merge it with its All3Media business.
Chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall has also been exploring a possible demerger of ITV’s two main units in an effort to boost the company’s flagging share price.
What it means for viewers
If a deal goes ahead, it would mark one of the biggest shifts in UK broadcasting in decades. Sky, already a dominant player in pay‑TV and streaming, would take control of ITV’s free‑to‑air channels and ITVX, while ITV Studios would continue to produce some of the UK’s most popular programmes.
For viewers in Swansea and across Wales, the change could eventually affect how ITV content is delivered and accessed — though no immediate changes have been announced.
HTV: Wales’ ITV heritage
1968: Harlech Television (HTV) wins the ITV franchise for Wales and the West of England after TWW loses its licence. On 4 March, TWW ceases broadcasting and an interim service is provided by the Independent Television Authority (ITA). HTV officially begins broadcasting on 20 May.
1970: HTV starts broadcasting in colour. The company drops the full name “Harlech Television” and becomes known simply as HTV. The Welsh service is branded HTV Cymru Wales.
1997: HTV becomes part of United News and Media (UNM), reflecting wider consolidation in the UK’s commercial TV sector.
2004: Following a merger, HTV is absorbed into ITV plc, ending its status as a standalone franchise holder.
2009: The HTV brand disappears from the main channel. In Wales, the service is rebranded as ITV Wales, while the former West region merges with Westcountry to create ITV West Country.
Although the HTV name has gone, its legacy continues through ITV Wales, which still produces regional news and features for audiences across the nation.
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