Sky profits fall amid rising Premier League costs and weaker advertising market

Sky has said rising costs from screening Premier League football and a "weaker UK advertising market" has dragged on profits.

The broadcaster saw an 11% drop in operating profit to £1.01 billion in the nine months to March 31 as it pointed to a £494 million bill linked to Premier League costs.

On a statutory basis, operating profit fell from £802 million to £703 million.

Boss Jeremy Darroch said: "We enter the final quarter of our fiscal year in good shape. Despite the broader consumer environment remaining uncertain, we continue to deliver on our strategy and are on track for the full year."

Revenue rose by 5% to £9.6 billion during the period, with more than 100,000 new customers joining Sky in the third quarter.

Sky also announced a 250 million US dollar partnership with American production company HBO.

The partnership will bring together the Game Of Thrones broadcaster and producer, and aims to bring more "world-class drama series" to customers.

Sky is the subject of a £11.7 billion takeover bid from Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox.

Fox is aiming to seize control of the 61% of Sky it does not already own and the bid comes five years after Mr Murdoch's last tilt at taking the business over through News Corporation.

The deal has the green light from EU regulators, but Ofcom and the CMA have until May 16 to investigate the deal.