British broadcaster Sky has ended its television news joint venture with United Arab Emirates investment vehicle IMI, relinquishing all strategic and operational ownership of Sky News Arabia.
The commercial restructuring allows the Abu Dhabi-based 24-hour Arabic language news service to retain its branding under a multi-year licensing agreement.
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As reported by The Guardian, the decision follows public criticism regarding the channel's editorial coverage of the war in Sudan.
The broadcaster has faced allegations of whitewashing genocide and denying atrocities committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group backed by the UAE.
The media platform was established in 2010 to compete directly against international Arabic-language networks such as Al Jazeera and the BBC World Service.
The initial joint venture contract was originally finalized by News Corporation when the conglomerate controlled Sky.
The leadership at Sky Group expressed their transition plans through an official corporate statement following the conclusion of the new branding agreement.
"We are proud of what has been built through our partnership with IMI over the years and the significant presence built throughout the region," said David Rhodes, the executive chair of Sky News Group.
The executive noted that the restructuring matches the current needs of the organization as they shift toward a licensing relationship.
"The time is right for this change and we look forward to continuing our relationship in the next phase of Sky News Arabia," said David Rhodes.
Internal concern had escalated among British television executives regarding the specific editorial angle chosen for Middle Eastern conflicts.
In November, the Sudanese government enacted an official operational ban against the channel after a deployed news crew claimed the humanitarian situation in El Fasher had stabilized.
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Investigations revealed that the reporter who produced the segment is married to a high-ranking official within the parallel government of the RSF.
Subsequent broadcasts and digital articles from the network maintained that field evidence did not support survivor testimonies or satellite imagery of local atrocities.
A independent United Nations-mandated fact-finding mission concluded in February that the 18-month siege and occupation of El Fasher by the RSF carried the distinct hallmarks of genocide.
The UAE administration has consistently denied holding any responsibility for crimes committed by the paramilitary forces.
The investment vehicle managing the station outlined its independent corporate strategy for the media asset moving forward.
"As we enter this next phase, IMI will take full ownership of the platform's future with the agility, focus and investment capacity to continue building the leading multimedia news destination for the Arab world," said Nakhle Elhage, the chief transformation officer at IMI.
The management emphasized the growth metrics and audience acquisition numbers achieved by the satellite channel over the last decade of operations.
"Sky News Arabia today stands as one of the Arab world's leading media success stories.
Over the past decade it has built scale, trust and relevance across television, digital, audio and social platforms, reaching audiences at a pace few media organisations in the legion have achieved," said Nakhle Elhage.
The operational departure mirrors previous corporate pullbacks executed by parent company Comcast, which bought Sky in 2018.
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Comcast previously declined to renew a brand licensing deal in Australia, forcing Sky News Australia to prepare for a formal rebranding to News24 later this year.
