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Nandy threatens to block Sky's £1.6bn ITV takeover over fears it would choke Britain's news plurality

Lisa Nandy, who told MPs on 30 April that Sky and ITV have until 20 October to respond before she decides whether to block the broadcaster's £1.6bn takeover over media plurality concerns.
Lisa Nandy, who told MPs on 30 April that Sky and ITV have until 20 October to respond before she decides whether to block the broadcaster's £1.6bn takeover over media plurality concerns.
Sky and ITV agreed the £1.6bn deal in July, pitching it as a rival to Netflix and Disney Plus, with ITV Studios to be carved off as a separate listed company.
Sky and ITV agreed the £1.6bn deal in July, pitching it as a rival to Netflix and Disney Plus, with ITV Studios to be carved off as a separate listed company.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has told Sky and ITV she is "minded to intervene" in the £1.6bn deal for Sky to buy ITV's broadcasting and streaming arm, citing serious concerns about media plurality and free expression. Sky and ITV now have until 20 October to respond to her letter or face a formal investigation by Ofcom and the Competition and Markets Authority. Nandy warned that a merged Sky-ITV would give one entity control over 86% of the linear TV news market outside the BBC, threatening the range of views available to British viewers.

Sky's parent company is US giant Comcast, raising Whitehall nerves about American corporate influence over Britain's biggest commercial broadcaster.

Bosses pledged to keep ITV News and Sky News editorially separate until 2030, but critics note Sky has already begun charging £14.99 a month for a new defence-focused news app.

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