BSkyB is pushing ahead with plans to create a European pay TV giant by buying 21st Century Fox’s satellite broadcasting assets in Germany and Italy.
Talks about the group acquiring Sky Italia and Fox’s 57 per cent stake in Sky Deutschland have been progressing and reports yesterday claimed that a deal could be struck within weeks.
Analysts calculate that it would return about €8 billion to Fox at a time that it is lining up a potential $80 billion takeover of Time Warner.
Combining the three Skys would create a pay-TV company with about 20 million subscribers, revenues of £12 billion and greater clout to negotiate programme rights and defend itself against Netflix and BT.
Rupert Murdoch’s Fox, which owns 39 per cent of BSkyB,