The Overview
ITV is a producer, streamer and broadcaster, consisting of ITV Studios and Media & Entertainment (M&E).
ITV Studios is a scaled global creator, owner and distributor of high-quality TV content, producing some of the most successful shows in the world. It operates in 13 countries, across 60+ labels and is diversified by genre, geography and customer in the key creative markets around the world.
Media & Entertainment is the largest commercial streamer and broadcaster in the UK. Through M&E, ITV makes brilliant British-focused content available on ITVX - their free, advertiser-funded streaming service - alongside their free-to-air linear TV channels.
ITV also offers market-leading self-service addressable advertising through its proprietary, addressable advertising platform, Planet V, which creates and delivers targeted advertising at scale.
The Challenge
Like many large enterprises scaling cloud usage at pace, ITV needed a more consistent way to understand, allocate and optimise cloud spend across diverse business units. Rapid growth created pressure on cost transparency and cross-charging, while teams needed clearer guardrails to help them consume cloud services efficiently and responsibly.
ITV identified the need for a standardised Cloud FinOps framework and an operating model that could be adopted consistently across teams, supported by services to embed best practice, improve decision-making and sustain continuous optimisation.
We've been using cloud for the best part of ten years but didn't have a structured approach to FinOps, with some teams doing better than others. There was no consistency, standardisation or a central team overseeing it, all of which was identified through a proactive Cloud governance review that was undertaken to recommend key areas for improvement. This was a key business driver for change.
Marc Walford
Head of FinOps, ITV
The Solution
ITV selected CDW’s Cloud FinOps managed service to help them accelerate the rollout of a consistent FinOps operating model and strengthen governance across the business. CDW provided specialist expertise, tooling, structured ways of working and ongoing operational support to help ITV drive cost visibility, optimise usage and embed financial accountability across the organisation, while integrating with ITV’s existing cost allocation and reporting processes.
Working with ITV’s central FinOps team, CDW helped ITV design and roll out role-based internal training for FinOps users across the Streaming, Production and Broadcast groups. Users who completed the training were certified for FinOps practice and delivery in line with ITV’s standards, helping to build capability and consistency at scale.Â
The training focused on ITV’s Cloud Financial Management policy and processes, including how users could access the tools and allocate costs, create reports, identify and prioritise optimisation opportunities, and follow standard workflows when an anomaly alert was raised.
We chose CDW Managed Services because they really stood out in their approach. They had a real conviction in their established practices, developed over a number of years, and that came through clearly when they demonstrated their 3rd party tool and what they could do with it.
Marc WalfordHead of FinOps, ITV
A key differentiator in the programme was CDW’s focus on culture and adoption. Cloud FinOps is a team sport: it relies on shared ownership across finance, engineering and product teams, and it needs practical enablement that fits around busy delivery schedules.
CDW supported ITV with clear communications, structured onboarding and training delivered at the right pace to drive engagement in line with ITV’s increasing maturity. The managed service also helped operationalise ongoing reporting and alerting, making it easier for stakeholders to take action and sustain good FinOps habits over time.
The work was delivered in two phases: implementation and Business as Usual (BAU). Before go-live, CDW and ITV validated the new tooling, operating model and controls to ensure they were robust and fit for purpose. In BAU, CDW helped sustain the day-to-day FinOps rhythm with defined daily, weekly and monthly activities, supported by automated reporting and alerts to keep teams informed and focused on continuous optimisation.
CDW’s teamwork and partnerial approach really felt like they were an extension of the ITV FinOps team. There were no organisational barriers. If something couldn’t be done, they were always willing to take the time and talk through it and propose a solution.
Gael FernandesFinOps Analyst, ITV
The Outcome
CDW and ITV’s central FinOps team worked together to drive the programme across the organisation, partnering with seven local FinOps managers embedded in different business areas. This hub-and-spoke approach helped build momentum quickly, ensuring adoption stayed on-track and delivering value early.
As well as supporting the training, CDW provided ongoing guidance and responsive support for day-to-day queries. CDW advised on the Cloud FinOps framework, helped teams identify optimisation opportunities, and supported ongoing cost tracking and forecasting to enable more timely, data-driven decisions.
We wanted to make it as easy as possible to access the FinOps tooling, so our FinOps managers, product managers and even engineers use it. Some of our engineers build their own custom dashboards and reports to really focus on the specific cost drivers for the technology stack that they're delivering. CDW’s support and knowledge of the tooling were key success factors in enabling this.
Marc WalfordHead of FinOps, ITV
Standout Success Factors
- ITV’s Cloud Financial Management Target Operating Model was successfully operationalised and embedded through role-based training and enablement delivered with CDW Managed Services
- Measurable optimisation impact: 8% cloud cost savings delivered within seven months of rollout
- Stronger governance and accountability, with consistent reporting and controls to manage cloud consumption, cost allocation and risk across business departments
- Independent maturity assessment recognised ITV’s FinOps team for strong alignment to FinOps best practice after 18 months
Our original business case for the Cloud Financial Management project was that we would spend 2% of our Cloud operating expenditure to save 8% overall, as well as address the key improvement points flagged in the Cloud governance review. In fact, we reached this target in just seven months.
Marc WalfordHead of FinOps, ITV
