Sky has been talking to Telefónica about a possible tie-up with the O2 mobile business, it has emerged.
The Financial Times reports discussions have been underway since late 2014 – at the same time as similar talks between Telefónica and Hutchison Whampoa of Hong Kong about combining their British mobile operations.
The UK mobile market is very much in play following the bid by BT’s £12.5 million bid for EE, the joint brand of Orange and Deutsche Telekom. BT had looked at O2, its own former network, and a disposal is still on the cards.
Sky has previously argued that it has no need to add a mobile business to a proposition that currently adds fixed line and broadband to its pay-TV proposition.
Its broadband base includes 500,000 customers acquired when it bought O2’s home broadband business last April.
Its position may shift alongside the customers leaving behind the need for a fixed line phone.
