Britain unlikely to investigate Comcast bid for Sky, says minister

Britain said it was unlikely to refer Comcast's bid for Sky for a full investigation after deciding that the deal did not raise public concerns about media ownership.

Media minister Matt Hancock said however that he would give interested parties until 1700 local time on May 24 to respond before giving his final decision.

Sky is in the middle of a bid battle between Comcast, the world's biggest entertainment company, and Rupert Murdoch's Twenty-First Century Fox, the latter of which is waiting for the result of a full investigation into the impact it would have on the media landscape if it owns Sky.