Sky: Comcast formalizes a takeover bid of £22.1bn, higher than that of 21^st Century Fox

Comcast, a US telecom conglomerate, has launched a £22.1bn (€25.36bn) takeover bid for the British audiovisual group Sky, on 25/04/2018. This offer is superior to that of the US media conglomerate, 21^st Century Fox, currently a 39.1% shareholder in Sky, which announced the acquisition of the remaining 60.9% of the Sky group for £11.8bn (€14bn) on 15/12/2016, or £10.75 per share compared to £12.5 per share in the Comcast offer.

The UK Competition Authority (CMA) issued a negative opinion, on 23/01/2018, on the acquisition of the entire British audiovisual group Sky by 21^st Century Fox, at the end of the inquiry open to the request of the British government, on 29/06/2017 (see details below). The British government is expected to decide definitively on the transaction between Sky and 21^st Century Fox in June 2018.

Walt Disney Company, which reached an agreement with the 21^st Century Fox conglomerate to acquire 20^th Century Fox, a studio of the American group, as well as certain TV assets, including 39.1% of the pay-TV group Sky, for a fee of $52.4bn (€44.4bn), on 14/12/2017, could…