The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has pushed back the date for its provisional findings into the planned takeover of Sky by 21st Century Fox until January 2018. It had previously said the findings would be published in December, but has now said this will happen in mid-January.

Karen Bradley, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, referred Fox’s proposed acquisition of the 61 per cent of Sky it does not already own to CMA on public interest grounds. The CMA is examining how the deal would impact media plurality and broadcasting standards in the UK.

A final report is set to be sent to Bradley by March 2018.

The CMA said: “It is not unusual for us to update our timetables. In this case, we have received a large body of evidence – including numerous face-to-face hearings and more than 12,000 submissions – so it is vital that we spend the time to reach an informed and considered provisional view.”

The proposed £11.7 billion (€13.6bn) takeover dates back to December 2016, but has been delayed by two investigations, first by media and telecoms regulator Ofcom and now the CMA.

A separate review by the European Commission has already cleared the takeover.

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