Daily Mail to acquire The Telegraph in £500 million pound deal

The company confirmed that the parties have entered an exclusivity period to finalize terms and submit the deal for regulatory review. According to DMGT, the transaction “will comply with the UK’s Foreign State Influence regime,” with no foreign state capital involved.

The agreement follows the exit of U.S. investment firm RedBird Capital Partners, which had earlier partnered with Abu Dhabi backed IMI to acquire The Telegraph Media Group and The Spectator in 2023. The UK government blocked that deal over concerns about foreign state involvement in national media. RedBird then attempted a revised structure that would limit IMI to a small minority stake, but the approval process moved more slowly than expected. According to sources, growing internal opposition from senior staff within The Telegraph newsroom further undermined the bid.

The Financial Times reported that the price agreed with DMGT roughly matches the amount the RedBird consortium had already invested. Sky News previously reported that DMGT had considered a partial stake and maintained interest in a full bid.

DMGT said The Daily Telegraph would preserve its editorial independence within a portfolio that already includes The Mail on Sunday, Metro, The i Paper, and New Scientist. 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.”

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused American media outlets of being “biased,” “fake,” and responsible for spreading misinformation throughout his political career. With one of his largest lawsuits now potentially targeting the BBC, the case is expected to draw significant international attention.