As it moves towards the renewal of its Royal Charter in 2027 and looks to keep up with the ever-changing TV landscape, the BBC is said to have held talks with Channel 4 about a merger between the two public service broadcasters.
Any such move would enable the broadcasters to compete with the global streaming services, as well as potentially adding £1 billion in revenue to the BBC’s balance sheet, with parts of the BBC subsidised by Channel 4’s profits.
The report in The Guardian quotes industry insiders as saying they have heard the merger idea would enable Channel 4 to continue to operate as a separate entity under BBC Studios, similar to how the BBC owns UKTV.
However, both broadcasters have said that the discussions are unlikely to go any further.
“There are no ongoing discussions regarding the acquisition of Channel 4 and nor are we developing a proposal to do so,” said the BBC.
Channel 4 chief executive Alex Mahon told The Telegraph: “The BBC have categorically denied this nonsense and hypothetical imaginings of ownership models will not distract us from delivering for our partners, stakeholders, audiences and the whole of the UK. Channel 4 is not for sale.”
