A YouGov survey of public sentiment toward British media has exposed a significant new faultline with half of those questioned expressing concern at a rising tide of US takeovers in the sector.

Commissioned by Matrix Solutions, a custom global ad sales platform for the media, the survey found 48 per cent were dubious over US companies’ ability to properly cater for UK audiences, fearing a rising tide of generic and US-centric media.

A further 43 per cent fret about a potential increase in the volume of adverts carried, despite Ofcom imposing strict upper limits on the volume of advertising allowable, highlighting the fact that not all fears are based in fact.

In addition 14 per cent were concerned that the adverts they see may become less relevant under foreign ownership.

Mark Gorman, CEO at Matrix Solutions, said: “Media organisations undertaking or planning on undertaking M&A activity need to understand consumer attitudes on both sides of The Pond to create the best service for the most consumers. However, they also need to ensure that they have accurate understanding of ad revenues across all channels to remain competitive, which is even more important considering the market consolidation taking place at the moment.”

Comcast is currently locked in a bidding war with Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox to wrest full control of Sky, tabling an improved offer of $31 billion and a pledge to invest in the UK in order to seal the deal.

The research was based on the survey responses of 2,117 UK adults aged 18+ carried out online between September 4th and 5th.