John Malone’s US media and telecoms group Liberty Global has sold about half of its 10% stake in UK broadcaster ITV for a reported £135m.
Over the past year, ITV has been at the centre of takeover speculation, with Liberty Global often cited as a potential buyer.
Liberty Global’s decision to sell part of its stake in ITV caused the broadcaster’s share price to fall sharply, down around 10%.
ITV’s share price has been under pressure for several years, as a result of increased competition from global streamers such as Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+, as well as a weak advertising market.
The broadcaster’s share price has fallen more than 70% since Liberty Global increased its stake in the media company in 2015.
The Colorado-based telecommunications firm first took an ITV stake in 2014 from pay-TV broadcaster Sky for £481m and increased it the following year – to 9.9% from 6.4%.
Liberty said in a statement: “As stated in our Q1 2025 earnings, we’re actively managing our Liberty Growth portfolio, disposing of certain assets while prioritising our scale-based investments. As part of that process, we are divesting part of our stake in ITV.”
Banijay reportedly entered early-stage talks to buy ITV in April 2025. Discover more here.
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