Culture secretary Lisa Nandy intervenes in Sky's takeover of ITV in a move that could see the deal blocked

Updated: 08:44 EDT, 4 November 2026 Sky’s proposed takeover of ITV could be blocked as the culture secretary formally intervened on the deal on public interest grounds.In a statement to Parliament, Lisa Nandy said she had used powers under the Enterprise Act to issue a Public Interest Intervention Notice (PIIN) on the tie-up amid concerns it could affect free expression in the media and variety of Britain’s news landscape.She told MPs: ‘My decision to issue a PIIN relates to concerns I have that public interest considerations specified in section 58 of the Enterprise Act 2002 may be relevant to the anticipated merger and that these considerations warrant further investigation.’ ITV agreed the sale of its media and entertainment arm to Sky for £1.6billion in July after months of talks over a possible deal.The deal, which has been in the works since the end of 2025, will see Sky buy ITV’s terrestrial TV channels and streaming service ITVX. The culture secretary could block the proposed tie-up between Sky and ITVThe proposed takeover will now be passed on to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for competition concerns, and the regulator Ofcom, which will look at public interest issues. They have until January 27 2027 to report back to Nandy with their findings.She said: 'Following these reports, I will need to decide whether to refer the matter for a more detailed investigation by the CMA under section 45 of the Act.'Nandy had previously voiced concerns over the deal, saying last month that she was 'minded to intervene' in the deal. She highlighted concerns over the breadth of news providers and how much control Sky would have in the media.ITV is required by law to provide a free-to-air service until at least 2034 under the public service broadcasting licence.But in the future, Sky could at some stage decommission certain ITV shows or renegotiate their contracts. Sky is likely to want to make some cost savings.Nandy today confirmed she would bring forward new legislation, given that existing laws do not cover the impact of the merger on streaming or on-demand services.DIY INVESTING PLATFORMSAJ BellAJ BellEasy investing and ready-made portfoliosHargreaves LansdownHargreaves LansdownFree fund dealing and investment ideasinteractive investorinteractive investorFlat-fee investing from £4.99 per monthFreetradeFreetradeInvesting Isa now free on basic planTrading 212Trading 212Free share dealing and no account feeAffiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence.Compare the best investing account for you