[Neil Jones]

Pretty sure the rights for the LWT series are held by ITV Studios Global Entertainment. No doubt MGM are entitled to their cut but I can't see any reason why it might be any less acquirable for Sky because of the present series.

Indeed VMTV had no trouble airing the LWT series on both Virgin 1 and Challenge while the Sky1 series was airing, and the two parties were engaged in a public dispute.

It's not impossible that MGM would seek to block distribution, but it'd cost them to do so and I can't see what the benefit might be?

Probably a difference between a series on a channel behind a pay wall and one that's available to everybody, and indeed the BBC version was credited to MGM.

The LWT version had in its credits "produced in association with The Samuel Goldwyn Company" (as it was at the time) although it just said it was an LWT production for ITV on the endcap.

The Sky version just said it was a Shine production for Sky One, based on a format created by the creators of American Gladiators.