Sky, the pay‑TV, broadband and mobile company owned by Comcast, is expected to announce the acquisition of ITV’s broadcast and streaming channels, creating a new British media company that would compete with Netflix and Disney+ in the UK. ITV, founded in 1955, operates the UK’s oldest commercial public‑service network and the ITVX on‑demand service, and is bound by a public‑service licence that requires a free‑to‑air offering until at least 2034 and a minimum amount of original programming. The deal would see Sky purchase ITV’s TV and streaming assets while ITV Studios, which produces shows such as Coronation Street, Love Island and Emmerdale, would remain owned by the current ITV shareholders under a supply arrangement that keeps those programmes on ITV and ITVX. Industry analysts say the merger could lead to more integrated services, bundling content by genre to reduce costs and allowing cross‑advertising, but it may also raise questions about US ownership of a key British brand and the future distinctiveness of its programming. The acquisition would give Sky access to millions of viewers and the ability to promote its pay‑TV sports and premium offerings on the free‑to‑air platform, though regulatory conditions on news and original content quotas will remain in place until 2034. The final terms and timing of the merger have not been disclosed.