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Sky confirms agreement to buy ITV's media and streaming operations for £1.6 billion in major British TV shake-up

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Sky confirms agreement to buy ITV's media and streaming operations for £1.6 billion in major British TV shake-up

The deal is expected to have a profound impact on UK broadcasting.

Daniel Harvey Gonzalez / Getty Images

Molly Moss

Published: Monday, 6 July 2026 at 10:56 am

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ITV has agreed to sell its media and entertainment operations to Sky for up to £1.6 billion, the two companies have announced.

The agreement includes ITV’s broadcast channels and its ITVX streaming service, and concludes months of negotiations.

The companies said the acquisition will create a major competitor to the global streaming giants.

The deal will also see Sky acquire Love Productions, which makes shows such as The Great British Bake Off, The Great British Sewing Bee and The Great Pottery Throwdown.

Crucially, the sale does not include ITV Studios, the broadcaster's production arm behind hits such as I'm a Celebrity and Love Island.

Mo Gilligan, Davina McCall, Joel Dommett, Rita Ora and Jonathan Ross all posing next to one another for The Masked Singer

Mo Gilligan, Davina McCall, Joel Dommett, Rita Ora and Jonathan Ross on ITV's The Masked Singer. Bandicoot TV/ITV

ITV channels and ITVX will remain free-to-air until at least 2034 under its public service broadcasting licence.

Dana Strong, Sky Group CEO, said in a statement: "This is a defining moment for British media and an opportunity to build a stronger future for two of the UK's most loved and trusted brands.

"We have huge respect for the transformation the ITV team has delivered, particularly its successful move into streaming through ITVX, which has brought fantastic British content to millions of viewers across the UK."

She added: "Bringing Sky and ITV Media & Entertainment together combines the very best of free-to-air television, pay TV and streaming, ensuring viewers across the UK continue to enjoy outstanding British programming in a rapidly changing world.

"ITV will remain a public service broadcaster at the heart of British life, and we’re excited about the future we can build together."

A woman stands smiling ahead with her hands clasped in front of her. She wears a bright blue leather look dress.

ITV's Lorraine Kelly. Ray Burmiston/ITV

Sky has said that viewers will see no change to many of ITV's most popular programmes in the near future.

"Viewers will continue to enjoy the shows they know and love, such as Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Love Island, I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, This Morning, Loose Women, Lorraine and News at Ten – alongside major live sporting events."

Sky’s takeover of ITV will be subject to regulatory approval.

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Carolyn McCall, CEO of ITV plc, said in a statement: "ITV has successfully evolved in a rapidly changing media landscape – launching, and scaling, ITVX and developing ITV Studios into a major force in the global content market."

She added that she’s "confident that Sky will be a strong and responsible custodian of ITV M&E, building on its heritage while investing in its future and safeguarding the qualities that make ITV so valued by viewers, advertisers and the UK's creative industries".

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Authors

RadioTimes.com senior trends writer Molly Moss. She is sitting outside wearing a black top, holding a white teacup with a smily face on it to her mouth

Molly MossTrends Writer

Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.

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