Discovery is lining up a possible bid for Channel 4, should the UK government go ahead with its plan to privatise the public broadcaster.
The Sunday Telegraph reported Discovery was holding informal talks about an approach. ITV and Comcast’s Sky are also said to be considering throwing their hats into the ring.
The government’s plans for Channel 4 include a complete rewrite of the broadcaster’s operating model that could see it produce its own programmes for the first time. Its current remit, including the development of shows service minority interests, is achieved through a schedule that is entirely commissioned from independent producers.
Discovery already has a number of interests in general entertainment channels in Europe. These include Kanal 5 in Sweden and Denmark and TV Norge in Norway.
In the UK, Discovery is one of the backers of opinion channel GB News.
