{"id":2367,"date":"2018-09-20T12:19:42","date_gmt":"2018-09-20T12:19:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/sky-bid-tussle-to-be-settled-by-auction\/"},"modified":"2018-09-20T12:19:42","modified_gmt":"2018-09-20T12:19:42","slug":"sky-bid-tussle-to-be-settled-by-auction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/sky-bid-tussle-to-be-settled-by-auction\/","title":{"rendered":"Sky bid tussle to be settled by auction"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Game of Thrones draws big audiences for Sky in the UK
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The takeover of broadcaster Sky will be settled by an auction, the UK’s Takeover Panel has announced.<\/p>\n

The broadcaster has been subject to rival bids from Rupert Murdoch’s Fox and US conglomerate Comcast.<\/p>\n

The Takeover Panel said that the auction would start at 17:00 London time on Friday and end on Saturday evening.<\/p>\n

It said all parties had agreed to the process, which will have a maximum of three rounds.<\/p>\n

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Fox had looked set to take over the 61% of Sky it does not already own until Comcast topped Fox’s bid. <\/p>\n

Fox raised its offer to \u00a324.5bn, but this was soon trumped by a \u00a326bn bid from Comcast.<\/p>\n

The process has also been beset by regulatory issues amid concerns over media plurality and the degree of Mr Murdoch’s influence over the UK media landscape.<\/p>\n

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The battle for Sky: Why it matters<\/h2>\n

Sky is “a jewel in a crown”, says media analyst Alice Enders.<\/p>\n

The broadcaster has nearly 23 million pay-TV subscribers in Europe, with more scope for expansion there than in the US, and it has a broadband business.<\/p>\n

In February, Sky Sports won the rights to UK Premier League TV packages, and Sky also licenses shows including Game of Thrones, as well as producing its own original content.<\/p>\n

No matter who wins the bidding war, Sky subscribers are likely to face higher prices, Ms Enders says.<\/p>\n

The bidding war has pushed Sky’s price up to more than \u00a324bn, and that is likely to be recouped from customers, she says.<\/p>\n