ITV said in November BSkyB should be forced to sell the stake because the holding harms competition and may influence decisions at the broadcaster.
The UK secretary of state for business and enterprise and regulatory reform, John Hutton, said the government will impose the remedies recommended last month by the Competition Commission. BSkyB, has four weeks to appeal the decision.
BSkyB could end up losing money through the forced sale as the value of its 17.9 percent stake in the broadcaster has dropped since the purchase. BSkyB bought the holding for 135 pence per share, or £940 million pounds in 2006.
