The main regulator for the television industry has called for British Sky Broadcasting's planned £623 million sterling (€896 million) takeover of Manchester United soccer club to be blocked, together with similar deals proposed by other media companies.

The Independent Television Commission (ITC) which regulates all commercial broadcasting, has told the Monopolies and Mergers Commission (MMC) it should stop such takeovers because they would impede the sale of broadcast rights.

ITC officials have told the MMC panel considering the BSkyB takeover, referred by the government last year, that it would be unsafe only to impose conditions on such takeovers because they might not be enforceable. They argued low standards of corporate governance in the management of a number of soccer clubs meant some could not be trusted to stick to conditions.