Sky’s ITV takeover could be tonic for Premier League media rights value July 9, 2026 Sky’s proposed takeover of ITV is widely expected to mean more sport on free-to-air channels in the UK, but wider consolidation in the media market could also have a significant impact on the value of sports broadcast rights. A combined Sky and ITV would, if approved by regulators, create an even more powerful player in [...]
Hacking scandal? Inside Prince Harry’s costly legal battle over privacy July 9, 2026 The phone hacking scandal, which first emerged 15 years ago, has cost the owners of Britain’s most prominent newspapers over a billion pounds in legal damages, keeping law firms and the courts busy for more than a decade, writes Maria Ward-Brennan. The phone hacking saga returned to the headlines in spectacular style this week after [...]
Virgin Media slapped with £28m fine for stopping customers cancelling deals July 8, 2026 Virgin Media has been slapped with the media watchdog’s largest ever fine for direct harm to consumers after it was found to have mishandled millions of calls with users looking to switch away to a better deal The telecoms giant has been hit with a £28m fine after it was found to have put customers [...]
Prince Harry defeated in phone hacking legal battle against Daily Mail publisher July 7, 2026 Prince Harry and a group of six other high-profile household names have lost a long-running legal battle against Associated Newspapers over allegations of illegal information gathering, including phone hacking, after an 11-week trial earlier this year. Mr Justice Nicklin said in a 436-page judgment the group of claimants had failed to prove the allegations and [...]
Sky buys ITV broadcasting arm in £1.6bn deal July 6, 2026 Sky has confirmed it will take over ITV’s broadcasting arm for £1.6bn, in a move the media giant says will safeguard its role as a public service broadcaster. The US-owned broadcaster said on Monday it will pay £1.6bn in total for ITV Media and Entertainment, which include its free-to-air TV channels in the UK and [...]
Ferdinand, Crouch, Foster: How footballers have built media empires for the future July 3, 2026 Footballers need to retire eventually. Calum Hopkins takes a look at how they can do it in a changing media landscape. With the World Cup knockouts well underway, it is time to consider whether the people sitting in the studio continue to have the power. We are seeing a massive shift in football; the audience [...]
Georgia PM’s Starmer outburst over Morning Wire sanctions scoop June 24, 2026 The Prime Minister of Georgia has launched a bizarre attack on the UK government after Morning Wire revealed that consumer giant P&G had axed its advertising with the country’s biggest media group – and Nestle may soon follow suit. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze described the decisions, which came in the wake of sanctions applied by [...]
Universal reveals £133m investment in Bedford theme park June 18, 2026 US Media giant Comcast has revealed that it has already invested more than £130m in its upcoming Universal theme park in Bedford which was recently announced by the government. The 540 acre Universal United Kingdom Resort is due to open in 2031 and is tipped to have rides themed to Jurassic World, James Bond and [...]
‘Fantasy land’: AO World boss blasts Labour over employment costs June 17, 2026 The boss of AO World has hit out at the government after it shifted hundreds of jobs to South Africa in a bid to dodge soaring employment costs. John Roberts, chief executive of the electrical retailer, claimed the UK’s political class lives “in an economic fantasy land” and blasted Labour for forcing his company to [...]
Social media ban may push children to ‘darker corners of the internet,’ lawyers warn June 15, 2026 Sir Kier Starmer’s announcement to ban social media for under-16s on Monday morning may create privacy issues for children and encourage them to use less regulated platforms, legal experts have warned. Speaking at Downing Street on Monday, the Prime Minister said social media platforms are harming children’s wellbeing and making it easier for their mental [...]