ITV hits such as I'm a Celebrity to stay free to watch after Sky takeover
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- Sky is acquiring ITV's media and entertainment divisions — broadcast channels and the ITVX streaming service — for £1.6bn, in one of the biggest takeovers in British media history.
- Dana Strong, Sky's chief executive, told the BBC that ITV hits including Coronation Street, Emmerdale, I'm a Celebrity and Love Island will stay free-to-watch until at least 2034, when ITV's public service licence obligations expire.
- The deal is structured around a five-year content arrangement that Sky will renegotiate with ITV Studios closer to expiry, while some Sky sports coverage will be made available for free on ITV to build audiences and fandom.
- ITV will receive £1.2bn in cash plus Sky's Love Productions business — owner of Great British Bake Off, valued at £200m — with a potential further £200m in 2028 if advertising revenue targets are hit.
- Sky has committed to spending £2.2bn on content from ITV Studios over five years; ITV Studios itself is excluded from the acquisition and will operate as a standalone business once the deal closes.
- Former ITV chairman Sir Peter Bazalgette called the consolidation "essential" for the survival of British broadcasters against US streaming giants, warning that without domestic mergers "we won't have any in 20 years"; the takeover still requires regulatory approval.
Why it matters: The £1.6bn deal folds ITV's broadcast channels and ITVX under Sky ownership, giving Sky scale to compete with global streamers while ITV pockets £1.2bn cash plus Love Productions (£200m) and a potential £200m earn-out. For viewers, free-to-air status is locked only until 2034 — coinciding with the expiry of ITV's PSB licence — after which Sky must renegotiate content deals with the now-independent ITV Studios, leaving the long-term future of free Coronation Street and I'm a Celebrity on ITV technically unsecured.
