Sky to Air Day of Jackal, SNL UK on ITV After $2.1B Deal
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Sky announced a £1.6 billion ($2.1 billion) acquisition of ITV's network and streaming unit earlier this week, subject to lengthy regulatory approval.
- Sky executives are weighing airing Season 1 of The Day of the Jackal on ITV before Season 2 premieres on Sky, alongside reruns of SNL UK to amplify the show.
- Sky CEO Dana Strong revealed Sky will also window sport on ITV, meaning some Premier League fixtures could broadcast on the free-to-air network.
- Sky has not had a single title break into the UK weekly top 50 biggest shows in the first half of 2026; Netflix logged six UK originals on the list and Amazon Prime Video two.
- Sky Studios CEO Cécile Frot-Coutaz commands a content budget comfortably north of £1 billion a year, second only to the BBC's Kate Phillips among UK content chiefs.
- Sky separately signed a £2.1 billion output deal with ITV Studios for key series including Love Island and Coronation Street, running until 2032.
Why it matters: ITV gives Sky a free-to-air distribution channel it currently lacks — none of its originals cracked the UK weekly top 50 in H1 2026, while Netflix and Amazon Prime Video consistently do. Sky executives believe ITV's commercial-broadcast reach can convert free-to-air viewers into paying subscribers, addressing what producers described as lingering doubts about Sky's ability to cut through with original series.
