Sky, the British broadcaster owned by NBCUniversal's parent company Comcast, has agreed to acquire ITV's television networks and streaming platform for roughly $2.1 billion. The deal significantly deepens NBCUniversal's influence over the British television market, one of the industry's most important internationally. It matters because it combines Sky's subscription business with ITV's large free-to-air reach, creating a bigger ecosystem at a time when traditional broadcasters are losing viewers to streaming giants such as Netflix, YouTube, Disney+ and Amazon. The transaction still requires regulatory clearance, a process expected to take more than a year.

Notably, ITV Studios — the production business behind global formats such as Love Island — is not included in the acquisition and will instead become a standalone company, continuing to make programmes for broadcasters and streamers worldwide. The merger gives Sky a free-to-air promotional engine alongside its subscription service, potentially allowing NBCUniversal to build audiences for premium originals like The Day of the Jackal and Saturday Night Live UK before steering viewers towards paid platforms. Executives have framed the combined business as a British "streaming champion", pooling subscription TV, streaming, sports rights, advertising reach and a recognisable public-service brand under one umbrella.