Jeremy Clarkson says the BBC, ITV, Sky, Channel 4 and Channel 5 should merge into one "Britflix" to survive. The future of British TV, or a loss of choice?
Speaking at the RTS London convention on 29 September, Clarkson said one big platform could make "bigger, fewer, better programmes" to compete with social media. Sky struck a £1.6bn deal for ITV's broadcasting and streaming arm this year, Channel 4 plans to cut 340 jobs, and the BBC and Channel 4 have repeatedly rejected merger talk.
What happened
At the Royal Television Society's London convention on 29 September, Jeremy Clarkson, 66, said British TV can only survive if "the whole lot merge", naming the BBC, ITV, Sky, Channel 4 and Channel 5. He said "one great big Britflix" could make "bigger, fewer, better programmes", and that 35 to 40 people on the Clarkson's Farm crew were wondering how to pay their mortgages. Earlier this year Sky struck a £1.6bn deal for ITV's broadcasting and streaming arm, and Channel 4 plans to cut 340 jobs.
Why people disagree
Supporters say each UK broadcaster is small next to Netflix, Amazon and YouTube, and pooling budgets could fund bigger shows and keep skilled crews in work. Critics say one giant broadcaster would mean fewer commissioners, less competition and less plurality in news, and that merging licence-fee, advertising and subscription businesses would be legally and politically very hard.
What's still unclear
The BBC and Channel 4 have repeatedly rejected mergers, though Channel 4's boss is open to its shows appearing on iPlayer. It is unclear who would fund a merged platform, whether regulators would allow it, and whether sharing apps would be enough.
Sources
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