International Insider: Sky Buys ITV; Banijay-All3Media Deal Closes; Emmy Nominations

Hello again, Insider Squad. Jesse Whittock here to update you on the top headlines from the world of TV and film this week, as Europe went M&A crazy. Here’s what happened.

First, Sky Buys ITV

New Sky thinking: It was the week when Sky finally went from looking from the outside in at Britain’s public broadcasters to becoming part of the gang. With most of the UK experiencing a strange form of jet lag after staying up to the early hours to watch England beat Mexico at the World Cup, Comcast-owned pay-TV giant Sky served us a wake-up call on Monday morning when it announced it was paying a total consideration of £1.6 billion ($2.1 billion) for the ITV network and streaming business (not including production arm ITV Studios). Courtship of the UK’s top commercial broadcaster had been ongoing since late last year, but it’s only now that hands have been shaken and contracts signed.

We immediately sprung into action and quizzed Sky and ITV bosses on how the future might shake out, with questions flying about regulatory scrutiny, the future of a solo ITV Studios, and whether it is right that two British PSBs will soon be controlled by Hollywood studios (Paramount owns 5). Jake laid out the main talking points in this handy guide, including takes on executive structures, job cuts, and how Sky’s premium sports will play a role.

Even more intriguing was this follow-up report in which Deadline revealed that Sky top brass, led by American exec Dana Strong, are already drawing up plans to get the likes of SNL UK and The Day of the Jackal on to ITV’s main network. “Having ITV on tap is huge for Sky,” said one source. With a lengthy antitrust investigation set to come, ITV CEO Carolyn McCall said to expect a wait of up to 18 months for this transformational deal to complete, though some think this is conservative and it is likely to be rubber-stamped sooner.

Then Banijay & All3 Wed

Indie darling: Those who dislike M&A should continue to look away. Less than four days after Sky and ITV put a ring on it, Banijay and All3Media got hitched for real. The two production giants completed their $8 billion unison, creating what new chairman Jeff Zucker has called the “largest independent media content company by catalog.” The combined biz will have about 170 production companies and 265,000 hours of content in its library – you’d have to watch TV for 30 straight years to binge through all of it.

All the detail is in our breaking news report here. In the immediate wake of the deal, Stewart spoke to Zucker and Marco Bassetti, who becomes Banijay Entertainment CEO. The pair talked strategy and teased the possibility of more deals, notably with ITV Studios seen as an acquisition target.

Emmy Nominations

It will be a quiet year for international projects at the Primetime Emmys, with few represented in the nominations revealed yesterday. Richard Gadd’s Half Man and HBO-BBC banking drama Industry were among those tipped for glory, but which failed to get a nod, as Dominic Patten noted. Matthew Rhys, however, became the first actor to be nominated in the Drama, Comedy and Limited Series categories, plus Gary Oldman and Slow Horses are once again vying for trophies.

There is loads to chew over from a U.S. perspective, with Widow’s Bay, The Pitt and Hacks among those leading the way. Next stop in the race for glory is Emmys night on Monday, September 14 with network TV icon Mariska Hargitay hosting.

• Sky Buys ITV: A Breakdown of the Key Talking Points

• ITV CEO Carolyn McCall on the Future of ITV Studios

• Banijay & All3Media Deal: What It Means for the Industry

• Emmy Nominations: Who’s Leading the Pack?

• International Insider: Your Guide to the Week’s Top Headlines

• Sky’s Premium Sports: What It Means for ITV’s Future

• ITV Studios: What’s Next for the Production Arm?