International Media Investments (IMI) has set the record straight about “false reports circulating online” concerning its partnership with Sky UK.
Reports alleging that editorial disagreements were behind a review of the Sky News Arabia partnership are "inaccurate", the company said in a statement.
"IMI and Sky UK are engaged in standard commercial discussions under an existing agreement that runs until May 2027," it added. “No decisions have been taken regarding the future of the partnership. Discussions remain ongoing, with both parties actively and constructively engaged.”
The company said the talks were “confidential” and “entirely separate from editorial policy or newsroom operations”. It added that “the editorial independence of Sky News Arabia remains unchanged”.
“IMI values its long-standing relationship with Sky UK,” it said. “External speculation is inaccurate and does not reflect the reality of these discussions.”
Joint ventures of this nature are usually time-bound by a commercial contract that is reviewed before renewal. Launched in 2012, Sky News Arabia, based in Abu Dhabi, is a joint venture between IMI, which also owns The National, and the UK-based Sky Group.
