Arqiva in uncertainty over DTT switch off
February 16, 2026
By Chris Forrester
The UK’s main TV, radio and cellular mast operator and transmission company, Arqiva, has been plunged into financial uncertainty amid uncertainty over a looming digital switchover.
The past few months have seen a main shareholder (Macquarie) selling off its 26.5 per cent holding in the business. Another shareholder, Digital 9 Infrastructure (DGI9) is known to be reviewing its own 51.8 per cent holding in Arqiva. The decision is awaiting various issues including the UK government’s long-term broadcasting strategy for the period beyond 2034.
DGI9 has seen its share valuation plunge over the past week with the company saying it might have to write the whole of its earlier £213 million valuation in Arqiva. Back in September 2022, the shares were valued at 116p. Last week they were worth just 4.9p.
In a Statement, DGI9 said it was the view of the board and InfraRed Capital Partners, which was appointed to manage the wind-down and disposal of DGI9 assets, that the company’s equity interest in Arqiva was expected to fall below the value of the vendor loan note used to fund its acquisition from Canada Pension Plan Investment Board in October 2022.
It added “a nil valuation had been identified as a plausible downside scenario, and the deterioration in the draft long-term plan assumptions now places greater weight on this outcome”.
Arqiva is the UK’s sole provider of national digital terrestrial TV and radio broadcast infrastructure,
Satellite operator SES renewed its transmission uplink contract with Arqiva in October 2025 for services to the UK and Ireland.
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