‘Scale is survival’: UK broadcasters race to merge as streaming giants squeeze revenues Media British broadcasters are turning to mergers as television revenues come under pressure from streaming services, YouTube and online ads, according to Ofcom. The media regulator’s annual Media Nations report found commercial broadcaster revenues fell from £4.98bn to £4.83bn in 2025, despite the wider TV and online video market growing seven per cent to £18.4bn. Growth [...]
ITV says ‘no guarantees’ on jobs after £1.6bn Sky deal Media ITV and Sky executives have said they can make no guarantees on job cuts after the two companies announced a £1.6bn merger on Monday. Employees of ITV have been warned the tie-up between Britain’s two biggest commercial broadcasters could lead to redundancies, and there are “no guarantees” over their jobs. Speaking after the acquisition was [...]
Sky in talks to buy ITV’s broadcasting arm for £1.6bn Media ITV has confirmed it is in early talks with Sky over the possible sale of its media and entertainment division, in a move that could reshape the UK television industry. In a statement to the market on Friday, ITV announced that it was in “preliminary discussions” regarding a potential sale of its broadcasting and streaming [...]
Channel 4 named fastest growing streamer amid Netflix’s UK surge October 10, 2025 Channel 4 has emerged as the UK’s fastest-growing major streaming platform, Morning Wire can reveal, beating multiple audience records in September and strengthening its digital hand with a new deal designed to rival the reach of Netflix and Disney+. The broadcaster’s streaming minutes jumped 36 per cent year-on-year, according to new BARB data, the biggest [...]
Exclusive: R360 rugby breakaway will have a player draft and be free-to-air June 11, 2025 The R360 global rugby breakaway plans to be broadcast free-to-air, beginning with a draft of big-name male and female players where club owners are mic’d up, Morning Wire has learned. The franchise-based project is slated to launch next year and – if successful – promises to fix the loss-making club game and change the face [...]
LaLiga launches UK free-to-air rights tender as ITV deal comes to end March 4, 2025 Spanish football’s LaLiga has launched a media rights tender for free-to-air coverage of games in the United Kingdom. Two packages are on offer to British and Irish broadcasters: the first for exclusive access to all LaLiga matches, and the second for free-to-air matches scheduled for 8pm on Sunday evenings. ITV Sport has been the host [...]
Championship and Sky to SCRAP 3pm football blackout in August May 8, 2024 The 3pm football blackout has been scrapped by the EFL and Sky Sports for the opening weekend of the season with every game set to be broadcast. It is part of a new deal that will see the broadcaster increase its live coverage by 50 per cent from next season. The £935m deal will involve [...]