Sky to Acquire ITV Media Business for $2.16 Billion

Sky will acquire ITV's Media & Entertainment business for $2.16 billion, according to an agreement announced July 6, 2026. The transaction unites ITV's free-to-air channels and ITVX streaming service with Sky's subscription television and addressable advertising platform. ITV's more than 16 million monthly ITVX users will join Sky's existing infrastructure.

AdSmart technology allows advertisers to deliver different messages to different households based on location and demographics. The combined entity will offer campaigns across linear television, connected TV, and streaming within one system. ITV Studios and Sky also signed a separate $2.8 billion content agreement that runs through 2032, securing programming for the new platform.

Global technology platforms currently account for more than half of UK advertising spending. The merged operation will compete with those platforms by combining television's audience scale with first-party data targeting. The deal remains subject to regulatory review focused on competition, advertising concentration, and media plurality.