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\t\tSky agreed earlier this month to buy ITV\u2019s broadcast and streaming business\t<\/p>\n\t\t\tFriday 24 July 2026 7:58 am
\n\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Updated:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\t\t\tFriday 24 July 2026 7:59 am\n\t<\/p>\n
\t\tSky agreed earlier this month to buy ITV\u2019s broadcast and streaming business\t<\/p>\n
Sky and ITV will argue their proposed \u00a31.6bn merger controls only around a fifth of Britain\u2019s advertising market as they seek to convince competition regulators to approve one of the biggest media deals in decades, City AM understands.<\/p>\n
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on Wednesday invited comments<\/a> on Sky\u2019s planned acquisition of ITV\u2019s Media and Entertainment division, marking the first stage of its review of the transaction before a formal Phase 1 investigation begins.<\/p>\n The companies are expected to argue the deal should be assessed against today\u2019s broader advertising market, rather than television advertising alone, according to people familiar with their position.<\/p>\n City AM understands Sky and ITV together<\/a> account for roughly 20 per cent of total UK advertising spending once broadcast television, streaming services, social media and digital platforms are included.<\/p>\n That contrasts sharply with a traditional television advertising market definition, under which the combined business would account for around 70 per cent of sales \u2013 likely to become one of the central issues in the CMA\u2019s assessment.<\/p>\n An ITV spokesperson said: \u201cWe welcome the CMA\u2019s decision to open its public case page. This invitation to comment is the first part of the CMA\u2019s information gathering process and the start of the regulatory review for the sale of ITV\u2019s M&E division.<\/p>\n \u201cTogether with Sky we are working closely with the CMA, Ofcom and DCMS to support their respective processes and we are confident that regulators will recognise the fundamental changes that have taken place in our markets as they examine the proposed transaction.\u201d<\/p>\n Sky did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n Ad market concentration under scrutiny<\/p>\n The CMA said it was seeking views on whether the acquisition could reduce competition before formally launching its investigation.<\/p>\n \u201cThe TV industry contributes billions to our economy so it\u2019s important we assess the impact of this deal on competition,\u201d a CMA spokesperson said.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tRead more<\/p>\n