The UK government has said it will deliver its verdict on 21st Century Fox Inc’s (NASDAQ:FOXA) 18-month pursuit of satellite broadcaster Sky PLC (LON:SKY) by June 13.
In a statement to parliament, media secretary Matt Hancock said: "My decision will be on whether the merger operates or may be expected to operate against the public interest, taking into account the specified public interest considerations of media plurality and genuine commitment to broadcasting standards.”
READ: Sky pulls recommendation for Fox takeover bid after higher offer from Comcast
Hancock said he would deliver his final verdict to parliament, however, he added, that having given his verdict, he would consider any further undertakings that may be made by Fox and offer the industry the chance to give their verdict.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) sent its assessment of the likely impact of the deal to Hancock on Tuesday, giving him 30 working days to make a decision.
Fox has offered a string of undertakings designed to protect the editorial independence of Sky's News division but in February both sides were stunned when US media group Comcast Corp (NASDAQ:CMCSA).made a rival offer.
Comcast has since made that a formal £22bn (US$31bn) bid and, as a result, last week Sky pulled its recommendation of the £19bn offer Rupert Murdoch’s Fox made for the 61% of the company it does not already own in December 2016.
Fox's bid for Sky has also been complicated by its more recent agreement to sell many of its TV and film assets to Walt Disney Co, including its stake in Sky, for US$52bn.