DMGT secures £500 million deal to acquire Telegraph

The owner of the Daily Mail, DMGT (Daily Mail and General Trust), has agreed a £500 million ($650 million) deal to acquire the Telegraph, in a move that would create one of the most powerful right-leaning media groups in the UK.

The agreement follows the withdrawal of US-based private investment firm RedBird Capital Partners, which had previously sought to take control of the Telegraph.

RedBird, in partnership with Abu Dhabi-backed IMI, acquired the Telegraph Media Group and The Spectator magazine in 2023. But their attempt to assume full control was derailed by government intervention and scrutiny of foreign state involvement in UK media.

Under the UK government’s Foreign State Influence regime, any funding linked to foreign states has been excluded from the Telegraph’s sale to DMGT. A source close to RedBird told Reuters that delays in regulatory clearance, combined with resistance inside the Telegraph newsroom, contributed to the firm’s decision to walk away from the bid.

With RedBird out of the picture, DMGT moved quickly to secure exclusivity and begin preparing regulatory submissions. Those filings are expected to move faster now that the structure of the deal avoids foreign state-backed capital.

Lord Jonathan Harmsworth, DMGT chairman, has signalled plans to invest heavily in the Telegraph newsroom and strengthen the paper’s global reach. DMGT already owns the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday, Metro, The i Paper and New Scientist, and has said the Telegraph will remain editorially independent within the enlarged group.

The deal is likely to trigger scrutiny from the Competition and Markets Authority because it would place several major national titles under the same corporate umbrella. The Guardian has noted that DMGT already manages the Telegraph’s advertising contract, underlining how closely the businesses are intertwined.

Bringing together the No 1 tabloid and the No 1 broadsheet in a single company will also be a challenge to News UK, which is controlled by Rupert Murdoch and his family. Murdoch has long coveted the Telegraph and his response to losing out on it will be closely watched.

For now, the transaction remains subject to regulatory approval, which DMGT is expected to pursue while emphasising that no foreign state capital will be involved in the takeover.

Source: Noah Wire Services

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score:
9

Notes:
The narrative is current, with the earliest known publication date being November 22, 2025. The report is based on a press release from DMGT, which typically warrants a high freshness score. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were found. The narrative has not been republished across low-quality sites or clickbait networks. No similar content appeared more than 7 days earlier. The article includes updated data but recycles older material, which may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged.

Quotes check

Score:
10

Notes:
The quotes attributed to Lord Jonathan Harmsworth and the spokesperson for RedBird IMI are consistent with those found in other reputable sources, such as Reuters and The Guardian. No discrepancies in wording were found.

Source reliability

Score:
7

Notes:
The narrative originates from THISDAYLIVE, a Nigerian news outlet. While it is a reputable source within Nigeria, its international recognition is limited compared to UK-based media. The report cites Reuters and The Guardian, which are reputable organisations.

Plausability check

Score:
9

Notes:
The claims about DMGT’s acquisition of The Telegraph align with reports from other reputable outlets, such as Reuters and The Guardian. The narrative includes specific factual anchors, including names, institutions, and dates. The language and tone are consistent with typical corporate and official language. No excessive or off-topic detail unrelated to the claim was found.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH

Summary:
The narrative is current and based on a press release from DMGT, which typically warrants a high freshness score. The quotes are consistent with those found in other reputable sources. The source, THISDAYLIVE, is reputable within Nigeria but has limited international recognition. The claims are plausible and supported by specific factual anchors. No significant credibility risks were identified.