Finance
Daily Mail owner strikes $650 million deal to buy the Telegraph
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on November 22, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Quick Summary
DMGT has agreed to a $650 million deal to acquire The Telegraph, forming a powerful right-leaning media group in the UK.
Daily Mail Owner Agrees to $650M Acquisition of The Telegraph
(Reuters) -Daily Mail owner DMGT said on Saturday it had struck a 500 million pound ($650 million) deal to buy rival newspaper The Telegraph in a tie-up that would create one of the most powerful right-leaning media groups in Britain.
The deal comes a week after U.S.-based private investment firm RedBird Capital Partners withdrew its bid for The Telegraph, one of Britain's biggest newspapers.
A RedBird-IMI joint venture had acquired the Telegraph Media Group and The Spectator magazine in 2023, only for the then government to intervene and ban foreign state investment in UK newspapers. RedBird then sought to formally request approval from the government to proceed with the acquisition under a revised structure, with Abu Dhabi-backed IMI participating as a minority investor capped at 15%.
A source close to RedBird told Reuters that the regulatory clearance process had been slower than expected, contributing to doubts about the timeline and feasibility of the acquisition. Sustained internal opposition from senior figures within the Telegraph newsroom had prompted it to walk away.
The Financial Times, which first reported the DMGT deal, said the price had been set at about 500 million pounds to repay the money spent by the RedBird-fronted consortium.
The parties have entered a period of exclusivity to finalise the terms of the transaction and to prepare the necessary regulatory submissions, which they expect to happen quickly, DMGT said in a statement. The transaction would comply with the UK’s Foreign State Influence regime as there will be no foreign state investment or capital in the funding structure, the statement added.
DMGT had registered an interest in potentially bidding for The Telegraph Media Group in 2023. Sky News reported in May this year that DMGT was in talks to buy a 9.9% stake in the Telegraph titles.
DMGT’s stable of media brands also includes The Mail on Sunday, Metro, The i Paper, and New Scientist. The Daily Telegraph would remain editorially independent from other titles in the group.
A spokesperson for RedBird IMI said: “DMGT and RedBird IMI have worked swiftly to reach the agreement announced today, which will shortly be submitted to the Secretary of State.”
The Telegraph did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.
($1 = 0.7639 pounds)
(Reporting by Rhea Rose Abraham and Preetika Parashuraman in Bengaluru; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Mark Potter)
Key Takeaways
- •DMGT agrees to buy The Telegraph for $650 million.
- •The deal follows RedBird Capital's withdrawal.
- •The acquisition will form a major right-leaning media group.
- •The transaction complies with UK Foreign State Influence rules.
- •The Telegraph will remain editorially independent.
Frequently Asked Questions about Daily Mail owner strikes $650 million deal to buy the Telegraph
1What is an acquisition?
An acquisition is a corporate action in which one company purchases most or all of another company's shares to gain control of that company.
2What is a media group?
A media group is a company or organization that owns multiple media outlets, such as newspapers, television stations, and online platforms, often focusing on specific content or audiences.
3What is editorial independence?
Editorial independence refers to the freedom of a media outlet to make its own decisions about content and reporting without outside influence or control.
4What is a financial investment?
A financial investment is the allocation of resources, usually money, with the expectation of generating an income or profit over time.
