Bid for Sky may face more review

British regulators have completed a comprehensive review of 21st Century Fox’s proposed takeover of the European pay-TV giant Sky, but the nearly $15-billion deal might undergo further regulatory scrutiny.

Britain’s secretary of state for culture, Karen Bradley, said Tuesday that she would decide by June 29 whether Fox’s proposed takeover of Sky would be referred to the Competition and Markets Authority for further review.

Bradley on Tuesday received a report from Britain’s media watchdog, the Office of Communications, or Ofcom, which analyzed whether the deal would give Rupert Murdoch and his family too much control over media in Britain. Ofcom’s findings were not made public.

New York-based 21st Century Fox, which is controlled by the Murdoch family, already owns 39% of Sky, the payTV service that boasts 22 million customers in Britain, Ireland, Germany, Austria and Italy.

In December, Fox offered nearly $15 billion to buy the 61% of Sky that it does not already own. The Murdoch family has long wanted to fully control the pay-TV company that Rupert Murdoch launched 28 years ago.

The completion of Ofcom’s report marked the end of the first phase of the review.

If Bradley refers the matter to the Competition and Markets Authority, that would start a second phase of inquiry.

Ofcom also completed its assessment of whether Fox executives pass the “fit and proper” test, a moral standard for British broadcasters. Those findings should be released in the coming days, British analysts have said.

Fox declined to comment.