Sky is considering terminating its joint venture with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after accusations that Sky News Arabia has broadcast propaganda and engaged in genocide denial. The news channel, launched in 2012, is a partnership between Sky and IMI, the investment vehicle of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, vice-president of the UAE and owner of Manchester City.
Sky executives have grown increasingly concerned about the editorial stance of Sky News Arabia, particularly its coverage of the conflict in Sudan. The channel has been accused of whitewashing atrocities committed by the UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which a UN-mandated fact-finding mission concluded bore the 'hallmarks of genocide' in Darfur.
In November, Sudan banned Sky News Arabia after it sent a crew to El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, reporting that the security and humanitarian situation had stabilised. The reporter is married to a senior official in the RSF's parallel government. The channel subsequently published reports suggesting no evidence supported satellite imagery and survivor testimony of atrocities.
Sky is in talks with IMI about potentially terminating the brand licence next year. An IMI spokesperson said discussions were 'commercial in nature' and denied any connection to editorial matters, adding that 'any suggestion that decisions have been taken on the future of this partnership is incorrect'.
The original deal was struck by News Corporation, which controlled Sky at the time. Comcast, which acquired Sky in 2018, previously opted not to renew a similar licensing agreement in Australia, leading Sky News Australia to rebrand as News24. A 2020 plan to launch a global news channel with NBC was also scrapped.
