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ITV PLC  
ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2023
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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CONTENTS
KEY FINANCIALS1
ITV plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2023
1
MORE
THAN
TV
OUR strategy
Our strategy is focused on three strategic pillars illustrated below. 2023 was  
the year of peak investment for Streaming, which together with the successful 
execution of our strategy and the efficiencies delivered to date have made ITV  
more robust. ITV has a leading, scaled, global Studios business, a high growth 
Streaming service and a cash generative linear advertising business. This ensures 
that we are well placed to grow profits from here as we continue to drive  
material efficiencies, invest behind our  
strategic priorities and deliver  
returns to shareholders.
   Read more  
on page 10
supercharge
STREAMING
Driving digital viewing and  
revenue through ITVX and Planet V, 
ITV’s leading addressable 
advertising platform
OUR purpose
We entertain and connect with 
millions of people in the UK and 
globally, reflecting and shaping 
culture and building brands with 
brilliant content and creativity.
OUR 2026 vision
To be a leader in UK advertiser-
funded streaming and an expanding 
global force in content.
expand
STUDIOS
Further expanding by genre, 
geography and customer and 
growing faster than market
Vertically  
Integrated  
Producer 
Broadcaster  
and Streamer
STRATEGIC REPORT
Key Financials  
An Introduction to ITV 
and its Business Model 
Investor Proposition 
Chair’s Statement 
Our Key Stakeholders 
Market Review 
Chief Executive’s Statement 
Our Strategy 
Key Performance Indicators 
Operating and Financial 
Performance Review 
Social Purpose 
Our People 
1
2
4
5
6
7
8
10
14
18
32
40
Alternative Performance Measures  42
Finance Review 
Non-Financial and Sustainability 
Information Statement 
Risks and Uncertainties 
Climate Related 
Financial Disclosures 
Long-term Viability 
Statement Disclosure 
GOVERNANCE
Chair’s Governance Statement 
Board of Directors 
Management Board 
Corporate Governance 
Stakeholder Engagement 
Our Commitment to Section 172(1) 
Nominations Committee Report 
Audit and Risk Committee Report 
Remuneration Report 
Directors’ Report 
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Financial Statements  
Independent Auditor’s Report 
Primary Statements 
ITV plc Company Financial 
Statements 
Subsidiary undertakings and 
investments 
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Glossary 
45
52
55
65
72
75
77
79
81
84
92
103
106
117
143
148
149
156
229
238
243
optimise
BROADCAST
Digitally transforming as we continue to 
attract commercial broadcast audiences 
of unparalleled scale
ONLINE
We maintain a corporate website 
containing our financial results and a 
wide range of information of interest to 
all stakeholders, including institutional 
and private investors: www.itvplc.com
Group external revenue 
Cost savings
£3,624m
-3% (2022: £3,728m)
£24m
(2022:£23m)
Group adjusted EBITA 
Net debt
£489m
-32% (2022: £717m)
£553m
(2022: £623m)
Adjusted EPS
7.8p
-41% (2022: 13.2p)
Profit to cash conversion
102%
(2022: 75%)
Statutory operating profit 
Leverage
£238m
-54% (2022: £519m)
Statutory EPS
5.2p
-51% (2022: 10.7p)
FURTHER READING
1.0x
(2022: 0.8x)
Dividend
5.0p
(2022: 5.0p)
Social Purpose Impact Report 
Read more at  
itvplc.com/socialpurpose
Pay Gap Report 
Read more at  
itvplc.com/investors/governance
ALTERNATIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURES 
Strategic Report 
The Strategic Report explains in detail how we have 
performed this year and sets out, amongst other things,  
a fair review of the business, a balanced and comprehensive 
analysis of our performance, the use of key performance 
indicators to explain the progress we have made,  
a description of the principal risks and uncertainties  
facing the Company, and an indication of potential  
future developments. 
The Strategic Report is prepared in line with the relevant 
provisions of the Companies Act 2006 and the 2018 
Corporate Governance Code (Code) and the Company  
has had regard to the guidance issued by the Financial 
Reporting Council. It is intended to provide shareholders 
and other stakeholders with a better understanding of the 
Company, of its position in the markets within which it 
operates, and of its prospects. In setting out the Company’s 
main risks and uncertainties and throughout, this report 
and accounts contains statements that are based on 
knowledge and information available at the date of 
preparation of the Strategic Report, and what are believed 
to be reasonable judgements, and therefore cannot be 
considered as indications of likelihood or certainty. 
A wide range of factors may cause the actual outcomes and 
results to differ materially from those contained within, or 
implied by, the various forward-looking statements in this 
Annual Report and Accounts. None of these statements 
should be construed as a profit forecast.
1.  We use both statutory and adjusted measures in our Strategic Report. The latter, in management’s view,  
reflects the underlying performance of the business and provides a more meaningful comparison of how  
the business is managed and measured day-to-day. A full reconciliation between our statutory and adjusted  
results is provided in our Alternative Performance Measures section. Our KPIs (which are based on adjusted  
metrics) are set out in the KPIs section.
MORETHANTV 
2 
ITV plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2023
ITV plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2023
3
* 
 Includes £490 million of digital revenues1 (2022: £411 million)
•  Integrated producer, broadcaster 
•  Creates and owns the rights to 
•  M&E is differentiated from global 
AN INTRODUCTION TO ITV AND ITS BUSINESS MODEL
WHO WE ARE
ITV is a vertically integrated producer broadcaster and streamer,  
consisting of ITV Studios and Media & Entertainment (M&E). 
ITV TOTAL REVENUE
   ITV Studios
   M&E* 
£2,170m 
(2022: £2,096m)
£2,090m 
(2022: £2,249m)
ITV GROUP ADJUSTED EBITA**
   ITV Studios
  M&E 
£286m 
(2022: £259m)
£205m 
(2022: £464m)
**   A full reconciliation between our adjusted and statutory 
numbers is included in our APMs section 
1.  M&E digital revenue includes revenue from digital advertising, subscription, linear addressable advertising, digital sponsorship and commercial partnerships, ITV Win (digital 
competitions platform) and other revenues from digital business ventures 
OUR TWO DIVISIONS
ITV Studios
ITV Studios is a scaled and global creator, owner and distributor 
of high-quality TV content. It operates in 13 countries, across over 
60 labels and has a global distribution network. It is diversified by 
genre, geography and customer in the key creative markets 
around the world. 
ITV Studios is the largest producer in the UK, one of the largest 
unscripted producers in the US and one of the top three 
producers in the majority of the international markets in which it 
operates. ITV Studios has established relationships with key 
content buyers and leading creative talent in those markets; and 
with a combined content library of over 90,000 hours, it is also 
one of the pre-eminent global distributors.
Media & Entertainment 
ITV is the largest commercial broadcaster and streamer in the 
UK, delivering unrivalled audience scale and reach. M&E includes 
Streaming and Broadcast through which we distribute content via 
ITVX, our free advertiser-funded streaming service, and via our 
free-to-air linear TV channels. Our content is also distributed on 
third-party partner platforms, such as Sky and Virgin.
ITVX also includes a subscription tier, ITVX Premium, which 
provides subscribers with all of ITVX’s programming ad-free 
along with other exclusive content. 
ITV offers advertisers a unique combination of mass 
simultaneous reach, targeted advertising, and commercial and 
creative partnerships, in a brand safe environment across ITVX 
and our linear TV channels. 
Refer to the Operating and Financial Performance Review for further details on our divisions
OUR STRATEGIC ASSETS AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES 
ITV’s business model is based on a unique set of strategic assets and competitive advantages which enable us to grow our diversified 
revenue streams and create value for our shareholders. 
By developing, owning, managing and distributing the rights to content, ITV can maximise the value of its programme brands across  
ITV Studios, Streaming and Broadcast. This ensures ITV is a more diversified business and enables it to drive value from different  
revenue models.
Group
ITV Studios
ITV Media & Entertainment
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and streamer model creates 
valuable synergies
•  Strong, trusted brand, products  
and culture 
•  A high-performing, agile and 
diverse workforce
world-class content 
•  Broad global customer base with 
major networks, streamers and 
broadcasters
streamers with primarily 
uniquely British content 
•  Deep commercial relationships 
with advertisers
•  Owns Planet V, an intuitive 
self-serve addressable 
advertising platform
•  Strong data capabilities with one 
of the largest first-party 
datasets in the UK
USING OUR STRATEGIC ASSETS AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES WE AIM TO GROW…
OUR DIVERSIFIED REVENUE STREAMS
ITV Studios
Original production
We create and produce original scripted and unscripted content 
commissions for a diverse customer base of global streamers, 
major networks and local free-to-air and pay TV broadcasters 
and operators across our production bases. 
Formats
We create some of the world’s most successful unscripted 
formats which we license globally to maximise the value from  
our programme rights.
Distribution
We own the rights to a significant catalogue of programmes that 
we license to broadcasters and streamers internationally through 
our global distribution network. 
Media & Entertainment 
Advertising
ITVX and our free-to-air linear TV channels drive significant 
digital and linear advertising revenues due to our ability to deliver 
mass simultaneous audiences and targeted advertising at scale.
Commercial and creative partnerships
Using the power of our brands we help advertisers engage with 
audiences in different ways. We provide unique and innovative 
commercial and creative partnerships across ITVX and our 
free-to-air linear TV channels. These include sponsorship, 
product placement and advertiser-funded programming.
Subscription, competitions and third-party revenues
In the UK, we generate streaming subscription revenue through 
our ad-free tier, ITVX Premium. We monetise our consumer 
interactions through competitions associated with our 
programme brands. We also receive third-party revenue from 
distributing our channels and streaming services to other 
platforms and services. 
58% 
of revenue generated 
outside the UK  
(2022: 60%)
32%
total revenue from 
streamers  
(2022: 22%)
19 
formats sold in 3+ 
countries  
(2022: 19)
37% 
12.5m 
monthly active users  
(2022: 10.5m)
1,505m 
total streaming hours 
(2022: 1,192m)
SUPPORTED BY OUR…
RISK MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK 
91%
of revenue from scripted 
productions  
(2022: 34%)
of the top 1,000 commercial 
broadcast TV programmes 
(2022: 93%)
32.6% 
share of commercial  
viewing 
(2022: 33.8%)
ITV operates in an increasingly complex 
business environment and our risk 
management framework provides the 
business with the tools to identify, 
assess, manage and continually review 
our risks. 
Management and the Board can adapt 
the strategy to ensure we are striking the 
right balance between risk-taking and risk 
mitigation, that any underlying risks in the 
strategy are being appropriately managed 
and therefore enabling the successful 
delivery of the strategy.
Our business model enables us to create 
value for all our key stakeholders, see page 
6 for further detail.
 
 
 
4 
ITV plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2023
INVESTOR PROPOSITION
ITV is delivering long-term value for shareholders through:
1 Driving significant benefits 
from our unique position: 
•  As a vertically integrated producer, 
broadcaster and streamer
Refer to the Chief Executive’s Statement on 
page 8 for further details on these benefits
Reasons 
to INVEST
4 Optimising Broadcast as we 
continue to attract mass 
linear TV audiences:
•  Which remain highly valuable to 
advertisers as they grow their businesses 
and drives cash generation for the Group
Refer to our KPIs on page 14 and Operating and 
Financial Performance Review on page 18 for 
further details
6 Delivering against our KPIs 
across the Group:
•  On track to deliver our KPI targets in 2026
Refer to our KPIs on page 14 for further details
2 Growing its leading, scaled 
and diversified global 
Studios business:
• 
ITV will grow faster than the global content 
market, at a margin of 13-15%
Refer to Our More than TV Strategy on page 10 
and Operating and Financial Performance 
Review on page 18 for further details
3 Driving strong momentum  
•  Delivering significant growth in digital 
in streaming:
viewing and digital advertising, providing 
data-driven targeted advertising at scale 
through Planet V (ITV’s addressable 
advertising platform) in a trusted, brand 
safe environment
Refer to our KPIs on page 14 and Operating and 
Financial Performance Review on page 18 for 
further details
5 Increasing profit over the 
medium term:
•  As we continue to rebalance the business 
towards the growth drivers of ITV Studios 
and advertiser funded streaming and 
deliver further efficiencies
Refer to Our More than TV Strategy on page 10 
and KPIs on page 14 for further details
7 Maintaining a robust  
balance sheet, strong cash 
generation and disciplined 
capital allocation framework:
• 
Invest organically in line with strategic 
priorities; manage financial metrics 
consistent with investment grade metrics 
over the medium term; sustain a full year 
ordinary dividend of at least 5.0p, which 
will grow over the medium term; consider 
value-creating inorganic investment 
against strict criteria when appropriate; 
and any surplus capital will be returned to 
shareholders
•  £235 million share buyback to be 
completed within the next 18 months
See the Finance Review on page 45 for  
further details
ITV plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2023
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CHAIR’S STATEMENT
2023 WAS A 
CHALLENGING BUT 
PRODUCTIVE YEAR
In a nutshell, 2023 was a challenging but 
productive year. Economic headwinds were 
present throughout the year impacting our 
financial performance but we made good 
progress strengthening the internal 
capabilities of the organisation and hitting 
a number of key milestones on our strategic 
journey to be ‘More Than TV’, evolving from 
a legacy broadcaster to a more sustainable 
media and entertainment business.
Taking the financials first. Total external 
revenues were down 3% on the prior year as 
cost of living pressures affected household 
demand for goods and services and led 
advertisers to trim their marketing budgets. 
Adjusted EBITA1 declined 32% reflecting 
both the drop in revenues and planned 
investment in ITVX. Free cash flow was £361 
million, up 29% vs 2022. The balance sheet 
remains strong and the Board has proposed 
a final dividend of 3.3p taking the dividend for 
the full year to 5.0p, in line with the prior year. 
This is a total return of around £200 million.
The Board has also announced a £235 million 
share buyback which will be completed 
within the next 18 months.
The media and entertainment industry 
continues to evolve rapidly. Technology 
advances are dramatically increasing the 
choices available, not just in terms of 
content, but also how, when and where it can 
be consumed. The emergence of generative 
AI is a potential game changer in the world of 
production while the competitor set is 
shifting, from national TV broadcasters to 
international streamers and global tech 
corporations who are increasingly the 
gatekeepers to our audience. These 
structural shifts are material and require  
us to be on our mettle and take appropriate 
action. We need to ensure our internal ways 
of working are as sharp and agile as they  
can be, that we are ready to take difficult 
decisions to keep our cost base down and 
have a clear strategy that is future focused 
and plays to our strengths.
Our ‘More Than TV’ strategy has three main 
objectives:
•  Expand Studios
•  Supercharge Streaming
•  Optimise Broadcast
During the year we made good progress on 
each of the three.
Studios grew revenue and profit to record 
levels deploying its global scale and strength 
to win business across all major genres and 
geographies.
In streaming, ITVX had a successful launch 
year, proving technically robust and attracting 
large cohorts of new viewers with the quality 
and depth of its content.
And our linear broadcast business continued 
to demonstrate its extraordinary, continuing 
ability to generate mass, simultaneous 
audiences. In addition, innovations such as 
the upgraded iteration of Planet V reinforced 
ITV’s position as the clear leader for 
advertisers in UK commercial television.
It is the blending of these three strategic 
elements that makes ITV unique. Together 
they form an integrated model that allows us 
to consistently secure world-class content, 
provides outstanding flexibility and reach for 
UK advertisers and attracts the best writers 
and producers to work with us. The model is 
strengthened by our long-standing status as 
a Public Service Broadcaster (PSB). A Media 
Bill is progressing well through Parliament 
and its final adoption into law will 
fundamentally update the current regulatory 
framework and provide enhanced, welcome 
support to PSBs whose objective voice at a 
time of such dynamic change has never been 
more important.
1.  Refer to APMs section for the reconciliation between our adjusted and statutory numbers. 
ITV is a special organisation to be a part of 
and it’s clear from the frequent engagement 
surveys we run and our high levels of 
colleague retention, that people like to work 
here. They are proud of what we do, of the 
lead we show on important issues whether 
it’s mental health; diversity, equity and 
inclusion; or of the open and respectful way 
we try to treat each other. Nothing is ever 
perfect and we are eager to find opportunities 
to improve, but the values of this Company 
are sound.
There have been a number of changes to our 
Board during the year. Anna Manz, Mary Harris 
and Duncan Painter stepped down and I would 
like to thank them sincerely for their efforts. 
The Board and the wider Company have 
benefited enormously from their time with 
us. In their place I am pleased to welcome 
Dawn Allen and Marjorie Kaplan. Two highly 
accomplished leaders who bring different 
experiences to the Board table and from 
whom I am sure we will learn much.
Finally my thanks to 
Carolyn and the 
leadership team for  
their exceptional efforts 
during some challenging 
times and to all my  
ITV colleagues for  
their continuing 
commitment and  
passion for the cause.
ANDREW COSSLETT CBE 
CHAIR OF THE BOARD
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6 
ITV plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2023
OUR KEY STAKEHOLDERS
Our strategy is aligned with the requirements of each of our stakeholders  
so that we are creating and delivering value for all.
CUSTOMERS
VIEWERS AND SUBSCRIBERS
PARTNERS 
Including but not limited to the 
following:
Agencies and advertisers
We deliver advertisers value 
through a unique combination  
of mass simultaneous reach on 
our linear TV channels, targeted 
digital advertising powered by 
Planet V – our proprietary  
adtech platform, and through 
commercial and creative 
partnerships around our quality 
programme brands on our linear 
channels and ITVX. 
Broadcasters, networks and 
streamers 
We deliver high-quality TV 
productions globally, across a 
range of genres which 
broadcasters and streamers can 
monetise through their own 
business models.
Platforms 
We have strong relationships with 
aggregators who broadcast our 
content and pay us for its 
inclusion on their platforms.
Our content offering is varied and 
high quality, which audiences can 
watch and engage with, for free or 
through a subscription, across a 
variety of channels and platforms 
in a trusted, brand-safe 
environment.
We collaborate closely with our 
partners and aim to cultivate 
strong working relationships. We 
ensure all suppliers understand 
and adhere to our Supplier Code 
of Conduct.
OUR COLLEAGUES, PROGRAMME 
PARTICIPANTS AND EVERYONE 
WE WORK WITH
CITIZENS
We protect, invest in and develop 
our on and off-screen talent,  
and create a culture that  
nurtures them to be productive, 
commercial and creative. People, 
and their physical and mental 
health and safety, are our priority 
at ITV.
Refer to the  
Our People section  
for further details.
As a Public Service Broadcaster 
(PSB) in the UK, ITV can help 
shape culture for good. Our 
provision of free, universally 
accessible, high-quality content 
along with a trusted news service, 
helps to inform citizens, shape 
public sentiment, drive national 
conversations and support 
democratic debate.
Refer to  
Social Purpose  
for further details.
See Our Commitment to Section 
172 and the Stakeholder 
Engagement section for further 
details of ITV’s key 
stakeholders and how we 
engage with them.
SHAREHOLDERS, DEBT PROVIDERS 
AND ANALYSTS
LEGISLATORS AND REGULATORS
Through the successful execution 
of our strategic priorities, we will 
create value for and deliver 
returns for our investors (equity 
and debt).
ITV takes its responsibilities and 
obligations as a PSB seriously and 
conducts business in line with the 
appropriate laws and regulations, 
to ensure we operate ethically 
and responsibly.
Refer to the  
Investment  
Proposition section  
for further details.
ITV plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2023
7
MARKET REVIEW
The markets in which we operate are dynamic, increasingly competitive  
and rapidly changing. The global content market is large and attractive,  
with all platforms needing access to the best content to attract viewers  
at scale. Ongoing changes in viewing habits, coupled with an ever-evolving 
advertising landscape, bring both challenges and opportunities to ITV.
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TREND ONE
TREND TWO
TREND THREE
Global demand for content
The global content market is large and attractive 
with all platforms needing a mix of content to 
succeed in a very competitive market. Going 
forward we expect to see growth in key segments 
of the global content market in which we operate, 
including content licensing, streamers demand for 
unscripted content and cost effective premium 
scripted content. 2024 will be impacted by the 
2023 US writers and actors strikes delaying 
productions until 2025 and weaker demand from 
free-to-air broadcasters (FTA) in Europe who are 
holding back spend until they see more certainty  
in the advertising market.
Fragmentation in viewing  
and changing habits
While the average viewing time per person per day 
remains stable at 4.5-5 hours per day (Source: 
Ofcom), the competitor set has become 
increasingly fragmented over time. From PSBs (e.g. 
BBC, ITV), to global streaming services (e.g. Netflix, 
Disney+), and user-generated video-sharing 
platforms (e.g. YouTube, TikTok), viewers now have 
an unparalleled level of choice and flexibility about 
what, how, where and when they watch content.
The UK advertising market
The UK advertising market is worth £36 billion, 
growing at 7% compound annual growth rate 
(CAGR) in the past decade. Growth slowed in 2023 
(forecast to be +3% in 2023 vs. +9% in 2022), with 
high inflation leading to reduced marketing 
budgets. There was also a decrease in venture 
capital funding, which had funded significant 
advertising activity in recent years from new 
market entrants. 
Total market growth has largely been driven by 
online advertising, which is expected to be up 5% in 
2023 and up 16% CAGR over the last ten years. 
Online is the largest category of advertising spend 
(75% of the market) followed by TV advertising 
(14% of the market). (Source: AA WARC).
The TV advertising market is increasingly competitive, 
with global streaming platforms (Amazon, Netflix, 
Disney+) having now launched, or shortly set to 
launch, streaming advertising propositions. 
Size of global content market in 2023
Average viewing time per person per day
2023 UK advertising market
$226bn
(Source: Estimate from Ampere Analysis:  
Feb 2024 – excludes spend from film studios) 
4 hours 28 mins
(Source: Ofcom Media Nations. Previous 5-year 
average of 5 hours per day – incl. COVID-19 years)
£36bn
(Source: AA WARC. 2022: £35 billion) 
How we are responding
Delivery of ITV Studios’ strategic priorities will 
ensure ITV gains share over the medium term. By 
expanding our scripted and unscripted business 
and further diversifying our customer base, ITV  
can capture the growth in content spend in key 
segments in which we operate including licensing 
and demand from streaming platforms for 
unscripted content and cost-effective premium 
scripted content.
Growing our global formats ensures we have a 
range of high-value formats which we can monetise 
internationally, through production, format sales 
and licensing. Our distribution business can also 
capitalise on the value of our extensive catalogue 
of formats and scripted content. This contributes 
to our higher overall ITV Studios margin relative to 
our industry peers. 
As a vertically integrated producer broadcaster and 
streamer, ITV Studios also benefits from demand 
for its content from ITV’s FTA linear TV channels 
and our free advertiser-funded streaming service, 
ITVX, providing M&E with a strong and secure 
content supply.
How we are responding
As a commercial PSB in the UK, we provide the 
nation with the flexibility to watch content 
whenever and wherever, while maximising 
commercial value.
In December 2022, we launched ITVX which 
provided a step-change in ITV’s streaming offering 
and now has over 17,000 hours of free content.  
This has led to significant growth year-on-year in 
monthly active users of our streaming service, up 
19% and streaming hours, up 26%. 
Live viewing, whether via ITVX or on linear TV 
channels, remains a major focus: ITV is home to 
more commercial audiences of scale than any 
other broadcaster or streaming platform in the UK.
In 2024, we will invest around £1.275 billion in 
high-quality, trusted content across a wide range 
of genres, including large family entertainment 
shows, sport, drama, and news which will drive 
both video on demand and live viewing on ITVX, 
and mass audiences on linear TV channels. 
How we are responding
ITV offers our advertising clients something no 
streamer can – mass simultaneous reach, targeted 
advertising at scale and commercial and creative 
partnerships in a brand-safe environment. This 
remains a considerable market differentiator along 
with our deep, established relationships with 
advertisers and agencies.
ITV’s FTA linear TV channels offer unique scale and 
reach and it remains a cost-efficient and important 
part of marketing campaigns. 
ITVX delivers the scale and breadth of digital 
audiences which provides inventory for Planet V, 
our addressable advertising platform, to create and 
deliver targeted advertising at scale. This 
underpins our ability to compete for digital video 
budgets and gain share in this growing addressable 
advertising market, illustrated by our 19% growth in 
digital revenues in 2023.
Link to risk
Link to strategy
Link to risk
Link to strategy
Link to risk
Link to strategy
2
E  
4
S   O
3
S   O
Key
E   Expand Studios globally
S   Supercharge Streaming
O   Optimise Broadcast
Refer to the Strategy section in the CEO’s Statement and to the Operating and Financial Performance Review for further details
 
 
8 
ITV plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2023
CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S STATEMENT
EXECUTING  
OUR MORE  
THAN TV  
STRATEGY
The successful execution of ITV’s strategy of investing in and growing both 
production in ITV Studios, and ITVX in Media and Entertainment (M&E), is evident 
through the robust financial and operating performance in 2023, despite a 
challenging macroeconomic environment. 
ITV Studios delivered record revenues  
and profits as the business continued to 
demonstrate its strong market position,  
with outstanding creative deliveries globally. 
In Media and Entertainment, ITVX drove 
significant growth in digital viewing and 
advertising revenues, with the investment  
on plan. It was the year’s biggest and most 
successful streaming launch in the UK,  
firmly establishing its place in the market, 
and winning the award for Best On-Demand 
Service at the Edinburgh TV Festival.
Financial highlights
2023 was the second-highest revenue 
outturn in ITV’s history. Total ITV group 
revenue was down 2% and total external 
revenue declined by just 3% in 2023 despite  
the severe decline in linear advertising.  
ITV’s growth drivers continued to perform 
well, with 4% growth in ITV Studios and  
19% growth in digital revenues helping  
to substantially offset a 15% decline in  
linear advertising due to the challenging 
advertising market. In total, M&E revenues 
were down 7% in the year. 
As expected, group adjusted EBITA was 
down 32% at £489 million which reflects the 
decline in linear advertising revenue and the 
planned investment in ITVX. Adjusted EPS 
was down 41% at 7.8p. We have reached a 
peak level of net investment in our streaming 
business in 2023 and we continue to expect 
to grow profits from here. 
Statutory profit before tax was down 61% 
and statutory EPS decreased by 51% to 5.2p.
There was strong cash generation in the year, 
with 102% profit to cash conversion and a 
robust balance sheet, net debt of £553 
million and net debt to adjusted EBITDA 
leverage of 1.0x.
In line with ITV’s dividend policy, the Board 
has declared a final dividend of 3.3p (2022: 
3.3p), giving an ordinary dividend of 5.0p per 
share for the full year 2023 (2022: 5.0p)
As announced on 01 March 2024, ITV sold its 
50% holding of BritBox International to BBC 
Studios for a total consideration of £255 
million. The Board will return the entire net 
proceeds to shareholders through a share 
buyback of £235 million which we expect to 
complete within the next 18 months.
Our Purpose, Vision and More  
than TV Strategy
The strong operating performance in 2023 
demonstrates that the strategy we started 
implementing in 2018, and evolved in 2022 
with the launch of ITVX, is working. We have 
been able to withstand macroeconomic 
headwinds because of the actions we have 
taken to reposition ITV towards higher, 
sustainable growth areas in global 
production and digital. The business is 
demonstrably more balanced and has strong 
delivery momentum as we continue to drive 
our strategy. 
The media landscape continues to evolve 
rapidly and is more competitive for viewers 
and advertising, with recent new entrants. 
We are in a far stronger position than we were 
in 2018, to focus on ITV’s value drivers and 
competitive advantages and are confident 
that we can compete, as evidenced by a very 
strong programming slate: Mr Bates vs The 
Post Office is the highest audience drama on 
any platform for five years; Fool me Once by 
ITV Studios’ Quay Street Productions is in 
Netflix’s top 10 English-language dramas of 
all time, and ITV Commercial consistently 
outperforms the market. 
ITV plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2023
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ITV Studios
ITV Studios is a scaled and global creator, 
owner and distributor of high-quality content 
operating in 13 countries and across 60+ 
labels; diversified by genre, geography and 
customer in the key creative markets around 
the world.
ITV Studios benefits from its scale as the 
largest producer in the UK, one of the largest 
unscripted producers in the US and one of 
the top three in the majority of the remaining 
international markets in which it operates. 
ITV Studios is a trusted supplier with 
well-established relationships with key 
content buyers and leading creative talent  
in those markets.
In 2023 we further delivered against our four 
strategic priorities (as set out in the Strategy 
section on the following page) and we remain 
on track to achieve all our 2026 KPI targets 
and deliver a 5% total organic revenue CAGR 
target from 2021 to 2026 – ahead of the 
market, and operate at industry-leading 
margins of 13 to 15%.
We have grown our scripted business with 
316 hours of high-end scripted content 
delivered in 2023, an increase of 14% from 
the prior year. This has helped to further 
diversify our customer base, with almost  
a third of Studios revenues coming from 
streaming platforms in 2023, up from  
22% in 2022. 
We also continued to monetise our global 
formats with 19 formats in 2023 sold in three 
or more countries (2022: 19). Supported by 
our integrated model the final priority is to 
attract and retain the leading talent in the 
industry. We have seen outstanding creative 
deliveries from recent talent deals and 
acquisitions including Fool Me Once and 
After the Flood from Quay Street 
Productions, One Piece from Tomorrow 
Studios, and Big Beasts from Plimsoll 
Productions. 
The global content market is large and 
attractive, with all platforms needing a mix  
of content to succeed in a very competitive 
landscape to attract audiences. We expect 
to see growth in key segments in which we 
operate – content licensing, demand from 
streaming platforms for unscripted content 
and cost effective premium scripted content.
ITV Studios is very well positioned to take 
advantage of this growth and to grow our 
market share over the medium term, driven 
by our scale and diversified position, our 
investment in development and creative 
talent and our high-quality IP. 
As previously guided, 2024 will be impacted 
delays in production as a result of the writers’ 
and actors’ strike in the US, combined with 
the continuation of weaker demand from FTA 
broadcasters in Europe who are holding back 
spend until they see more certainty in the TV 
advertising market.
 AN AUDIENCE  
WITH KYLIE aired on 
ITV in December 2023.
 THE LONG SHADOW is 
a true-crime drama and 
was the most-watched 
series of the year  
on ITVX.
Our purpose remains unchanged, we 
entertain and connect with millions of people 
in the UK and globally, reflecting and shaping 
culture and building brands, with brilliant 
content and creativity.
Our vision is that by 2026 ITV will be a leader 
in UK advertiser-funded streaming, and an 
expanding global force in content. We are 
focused on three strategic pillars to deliver 
this vision:
•  Expand our UK and  
global production business
•  Supercharge our  
Streaming business, and
•  Optimise our  
Broadcast business
These pillars are underpinned by a number  
of priorities, and we have set key performance 
indicators and targets to deliver by 2026. 
With the strong progress we have made to 
date, we are on track and confident we can 
deliver against these targets. The following 
page provides further detail on our strategic 
priorities, why they are important and what 
they drive.
Integrated producer broadcaster 
and streamer
ITV has a unique market position as a global 
and diversified vertically integrated producer 
broadcaster and streamer with content 
central to everything we do. This model 
benefits both divisions and therefore  
the Group:
For ITV Studios it:
•  Provides a sustainable base of core 
commissions which gives stability  
in a changeable industry;
•  Helps with attracting and retaining 
industry-leading talent which is key  
to a successful creative business;
•  Provides a platform to make Studios’ 
content famous and enables cross-
promotion, supporting the international 
sale of our content and formats, and  
the monetisation of our IP across our 
business models
For M&E it:
•  Provides access to world-class content for 
ITV’s linear TV channels and ITVX, driving 
viewing growth;
•  Enables deeper and more creative and 
productive partnerships with advertisers, 
driving revenue;
•  Helps protect from content price inflation
For the Group, this gives us a real competitive 
advantage, providing attractive economics 
as we operate across the entire value chain, 
and benefit from diversification in a  
cyclical industry.
 
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ITV plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2023
CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S STATEMENT CONTINUED
Media & Entertainment (M&E)
ITV M&E is the largest commercial 
broadcaster and streamer in the UK, 
delivering unrivalled audience scale and 
reach. It is underpinned by two strategic 
pillars; Supercharge Streaming and  
Optimise Broadcast.
By Supercharging Streaming, we aim to drive 
digital revenues through ITVX and Planet V 
(ITV’s proprietary, self-service programmatic 
addressable advertising platform).
We launched ITVX on time and our investment 
is on plan and on budget. In our first full year  
of ITVX we delivered a step change in viewing 
and digital revenues were up 19%. We 
increased the number of monthly active users 
by almost 20%, up to 12.5 million and those 
users are spending more time engaging with 
the platform with streaming hours up 26%  
to 1.5 billion hours. Brand awareness is now  
up to over 90% and we have seen a significant 
increase in streaming hours for light viewers 
who are harder to reach, up 65%, and our key 
target audience of 25-54s which was up 47%. 
The key focus of ITVX is our ad-funded 
proposition which is where we have 
channelled our efforts and resources in  
its launch year. In addition, we have ITVX 
Premium, a subscription service, which is 
primarily an ad-free offering for viewers. The 
number of paid-for UK subscribers declined 
marginally year on year as we started 
transitioning subscribers from our standalone 
app, BritBox UK, into ITVX Premium, combined 
with the closure of the ITV Catch Up service 
on Amazon Prime Video Channels. 
In 2024, the BritBox UK service on Amazon 
Prime Video Channels and the Britbox UK 
standalone app will close as we further 
simplify our offering. This will consolidate  
all our subscribers under one ITVX Premium 
brand and will give us complete ownership  
of the subscriber base.  The closure of these 
services is expected to impact subscriber 
numbers and subscription revenues in 2024.
Planet V is the platform enabling the  
growth of ITV’s digital advertising – it is a 
market-leading addressable advertising 
platform which creates and delivers  
targeted advertising at scale. 
It enables us to create sophisticated 
audience segments and serve ads directly  
to them. All the major agencies are using 
Planet V and see it as an intuitive, easy-to-
buy self-serve platform, allowing them to 
streamline their approach to planning and 
buying. ITV has one of the largest first-party 
data sets in the UK, with over 40 million 
registered users on ITVX. Agencies and 
advertisers can make use of this alongside 
their own data and other first and third-party 
datasets, to create more precise addressable 
campaigns. Advertisers are prepared to pay 
more for this increasingly sophisticated and 
valuable ad inventory.
OUR MORE THAN TV STRATEGY
Our strategy is focused on three strategic pillars 1) Expand Studios; 2) Supercharge 
Streaming; and 3) Optimise Broadcast. These pillars are underpinned by a number of 
priorities (detailed below) to ensure that ITV is best placed to capitalise on the 
opportunities presented by the rapidly changing viewing, content production and 
advertising environments. These pillars are not independent. They work together – 
reinforcing each other, creating synergies and delivering value. 
To support the successful delivery of the strategy, we have key 
performance indicators (KPIs) and related targets to be delivered 
from 2021 to 2026 which we are on track to deliver. The key to 
successfully delivering this strategy is digitally transforming 
everything we do. 
The successful execution of our strategy to date has made ITV more 
robust. ITV has a leading, scaled, global Studios business, a high 
growth Streaming service and a cash generative linear advertising 
business. This ensures that we are well placed to grow profits from 
here as we continue to drive material efficiencies, invest behind our 
strategic priorities and deliver returns to shareholders.
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2026 STUDIOS 
TARGET
Grow total organic 
revenues by 5% on 
average per annum to 
2026 – which is ahead 
of the market at a 
margin of 13% to 15% 
expand
STUDIOS
Further expanding by genre, 
geography and customer and 
growing faster than market
supercharge
STREAMING
Driving digital viewing and 
revenue through ITVX and Planet V, 
ITV’s leading addressable 
advertising platform 
Vertically 
Integrated  
Producer 
Broadcaster  
and Streamer
optimise
BROADCAST
Digitally transforming as we 
continue to attract commercial 
broadcast audiences of 
unparalleled scale
2026 M&E TARGET
Grow digital revenues 
to at least £750m 
across M&E
ITV Studios – STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AND KPI TARGETS
Expanding UK and global productions is central to ITV’s strategy. ITV Studios’ ambition is to be a leading  
force in the creation and ownership of intellectual property (IP), global content production and distribution.  
We are achieving this by focusing on our four strategic priorities to drive revenue and profit growth.
PRIORITIES
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
FY 2026 TARGET
FY 2023
WHAT IT DRIVES
1.  Grow our  
scripted business
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To meet the growing 
global demand for 
scripted content 
particularly from 
streaming platforms
400 high-end scripted 
hours per annum
316 hours 
(2022: 276 hours)
2.   Grow our  
global formats 
business
3.   Further diversify  
our customer base
To maximise international 
monetisation of 
high-value formats
20 formats sold in three or 
more countries
19 formats
(2022: 19 formats)
To capture the growth in 
content spend from local 
and global streaming 
platforms
30% of total revenues 
from streaming platforms
32%
(2022: 22%)
4.  Attract and retain 
leading talent
Key to creative success  
of a Studios business
N/A
N/A
Growth in total 
organic revenue of 5% 
on average per annum 
to 20261 which is 
ahead of the market
Delivers adjusted 
EBITA2 margins of 13% 
to 15% 
In 2023, total organic 
revenue grew 3% at 
an adjusted EBITA 
margin of 13.2%
MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT – STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AND KPI TARGETS
ITV’s M&E strategy is based on two core pillars: Supercharge Streaming and Optimise Broadcast, with 
strategic priorities to drive growth in digital revenues and maintain strength in linear.
PRIORITIES
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
FY 2026 TARGET
FY 2023
WHAT IT DRIVES
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1.  Attract more monthly 
active users to ITVX
2.  Increase the  
time users spend  
on ITVX
3.  Increase UK 
subscriber base
ITV’s reach is key to 
retaining and attracting 
advertisers
ITV’s scale is key to 
retaining and attracting 
advertisers
Monetising ITV viewers 
who are willing to pay for 
ad-free and additional 
content
Grow monthly active 
users to 20 million
12.5 million
(2022: 10.5 million)
Grow total streaming 
hours to 2 billion hours
1,505 million hours
(2022: 1,192 million 
hours)
Grow subscribers to  
2.5 million
1.3 million
(2022: 1.4 million)
4.  Maintain our strength 
in delivering mass 
linear audiences
ITV’s mass linear 
audiences remains very 
important to UK 
advertisers
Maintain a share of at 
least 80% of the top 
1,000 programmes
91%
(2022: 93%)
5.  Maintain ITV’s position 
in UK broadcast 
market
ITV’s scale remains very 
important to UK 
advertisers
Maintain a share of 
commercial viewing of 
33%
32.6%
(2022: 33.8%)
Growth in digital 
revenues to at least 
£750m by 2026
Revenues from linear 
TV advertising, 
commercial and 
creative partnerships, 
and sponsorship 
In 2023, total digital 
revenues were  
£490 million, up 19% 
year-on-year
1.  Average annual growth rate from 2021.
2.  Refer to APMs for detail on our adjusted measures.
 
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CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S STATEMENT CONTINUED
This capability underpins our ability  
to now compete for online video budgets, 
particularly budgets allocated to platforms 
such as YouTube, and take share in this 
growing addressable advertising market. 
The progress we have made in Streaming and 
against our KPIs means that we are confident 
of delivering at least £750 million of digital 
revenues by 2026, with the focus continuing 
to be ad-funded.
We have started 2024 really well and will 
further enhance ITVX in 2024 building on  
the momentum we have. We will increase  
the depth and breadth of content, deliver 
continuous improvements in the product  
and user experience, and expand its 
distribution and marketing.
Within Broadcast, we have now digitally 
transformed the business and will continue 
to do so as we become increasingly agile and 
adapt to changing viewer habits. Internally 
this means we are always looking at ways to 
increase our efficiency and productivity, 
whether that is through the operational use 
of AI or ensuring our cost base is the right 
shape and size. Externally for viewers, it is 
ensuring we continue to engage our 
audiences through live content such as 
sports and successful entertainment shows 
to continue to deliver mass audiences which 
are so valuable to advertisers, together with 
the personalisation and targeting that comes 
with ITVX. 
ITV continues to be the best destination for 
advertisers to reach valuable mass 
audiences in the UK. Our share of those mass 
linear TV audiences continued with over 90% 
of the top 1,000 programmes appearing on 
ITV and our share of commercial viewing has 
also been broadly maintained at just under 
33%. This robust performance demonstrates 
ITV’s unique market-leading position in 
broadcast in the UK
What sets ITV apart from all its  
competitors commercially is the ability  
to deliver four things: 
•  Mass simultaneous reach, 
•  Sophisticated targeted advertising 
•  Commercial and creative partnerships 
•  A brand-safe and trusted environment. 
All of this ensures that we can remain  
highly competitive in an increasingly 
competitive market. 
ITVX’s strong performance has continued 
into 2024. Total advertising revenue (TAR) is 
expected to be up 3% in Q1 compared to the 
same period in 2023, with continued strong 
growth in digital advertising revenues. 
Refer to the Operating and Financial 
Performance Review for further details of 
ITV Studios and M&E’s strategic priorities 
and how the divisions performed in the year.
 SHETLAND is a crime drama 
produced by Silverprint 
Pictures (an ITV Studios 
label) for the BBC. 
 THREE LITTLE BIRDS  
is a drama written by  
Sir Lenny Henry and inspired 
by his mother’s journey to 
Britain in the late 1950s.  
It aired on ITV1 and ITVX  
in October 2023.
Cost and efficiency programme
Our existing cost saving programme of £150 
million between 2019 and 2026, has delivered 
£130 million of annualised savings to date 
and we are on track to deliver the full £150 
million by 2025 – one year early. 
We are now in the early stages of a new 
strategic restructuring and efficiency 
programme across the Group to reshape the 
cost base, enhance profitability, and support 
the growth drivers of Studios and Streaming. 
We are building on the foundations we have 
established in digital and data and the 
significant progress we have made in 
transforming ITV from a linear broadcaster to 
a multi-platform broadcaster and streamer. 
Savings will come mainly from technology 
and operational efficiencies, organisational 
redesign across Group, M&E and ITV Studios 
and permanent reductions in discretionary 
spend across the Group. 
By the end of 2024 we expect the programme 
to have delivered incremental annualised 
savings of at least £50 million gross per year, 
giving a £30 million in year gross benefit in 
2024. There will be c.£50 million of one-off 
costs to deliver these savings. The ongoing 
programme is designed to deliver further 
incremental material savings over a  
number of years which will further build  
ITV’s resilience. We will provide further 
information as the programme progresses.
Our Social Purpose
We reach millions of viewers globally, 
through our content, and in the UK,  
through our linear channels and ITVX.  
We are proud of our position as a Public 
Service Broadcaster (PSB) in the UK, telling 
the stories that are at the heart of culture  
and society. We have the opportunity to 
advocate for positive change from social 
issues to environmental matters and beyond, 
providing the UK public with unbiased 
information and diverse perspectives.
Our Social Purpose strategy has four focus 
areas: Better Health; Diversity, Equity and 
Inclusion; Climate Action and Giving Back. 
2023 saw us reach the major milestone for 
Better Health in surpassing our five-year goal 
which was to encourage audiences to take 
over 200 million actions to support their 
mental or physical wellbeing. We hit an 
extraordinary 249 million actions by the  
end of 2023 with our flagship mental health 
campaign, Britain Get Talking, playing a 
significant role in achieving our target.
Our Giving Back activity in 2023 continued with 
our biggest fundraising event, Soccer Aid for 
UNICEF. Since its launch in 2006, over £90 
million has been raised. As we move forward, 
our Giving Back work will shift towards 
supporting the next generation called  
Better Futures.
 THE BAY returned for its fourth series on ITV in 2023.  
It is produced by Tall Story Pictures (an ITV Studios label).
Climate Action remains a priority across our 
whole organisation, ensuring we achieve Net 
Zero by 2050 in how we make, broadcast and 
stream our shows, and use our reach to 
inform and inspire audiences to make 
greener choices. Our first Climate Transition 
Plan is published alongside this report.
ITV continues to consolidate our Diversity, 
Equity and Inclusion work. We have 
championed diversity across our biggest 
shows introducing a range of new voices 
on-screen and off-screen and have created 
new opportunities for under-represented 
groups to thrive in our business.
Refer to the Social Purpose section for 
further details on the work we have done  
in 2023.
Duty of Care 
Supporting the mental and physical health 
and safety of colleagues and others who 
work with ITV and those participating in our 
productions remains a key priority. We are 
committed to addressing promptly, fairly and 
confidentially all concerns and monitoring 
the channels we have in place to ensure they 
remain appropriate. During 2023 we 
continued to strengthen our Speaking Up 
programme by driving continuous 
communication, awareness and training  
of our speaking up channels for individuals  
to register concerns, including our speaking 
up hotline, SafeCall. I continue to chair the 
Duty of Care Operating Board which  
meets regularly.
Following the outcome of the external KC 
Review, which found that ITV’s handling of 
the case surrounding Phillip Schofield and 
This Morning was adequate and appropriate. 
In 2024 we will focus on implementing the 
recommendations arising from the review. 
This includes enhanced speaking up related 
training focused on different parts of the 
Group and further strengthening our 
complaints handling processes.
Regulation
The Media Bill which is currently working its 
way through Parliament, will update the legal 
and regulatory framework for television, 
particularly delivered online. This should help 
ensure that content from PSBs, including ITV, 
will be included and easily discoverable  
on all major streaming platforms, on fair 
commercial terms. Once the Bill becomes 
law, we will remain fully engaged with  
Ofcom and the government throughout  
any subsequent processes necessary for  
its full implementation.
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In May 2023, we submitted our application  
to Ofcom for the renewal of our Channel 3 
licenses, which expire on 31 December 2024. 
We are fully engaged in the process, which 
we expect to conclude in the first half of 2024.
Colleagues
Our colleagues are central to everything that 
we do and are fundamental to the success of 
ITV. They have played a significant role in 
delivering our strategy effectively this year 
and I am incredibly grateful for the hard work 
and commitment all our colleagues show.  
I always appreciate how our people love 
collaborating with each other and with so 
many partners externally, and how motivated 
they are to be part of making great shows 
that lift people and change people’s lives. 
We have continued to invest in the 
development of our colleagues and in 
ensuring we have an inclusive culture where 
everyone can be their authentic selves. I am 
pleased that in our 2023 Engagement and 
Culture Survey, 75% of colleagues who 
responded, feel like they belong at ITV.
In 2024 we will be running a series of 
Roadshows across ITV and I am really looking 
forward to meeting many of our colleagues 
from all areas of the business. With their 
input, commitment and energy, ITV will 
continue to successfully execute our strategy.
Outlook
We have made great progress towards  
our 2026 KPIs. 2023 was the year of peak 
investment for Streaming, which together 
with the successful execution of our  
strategy and the efficiencies delivered to 
date have made ITV more robust. ITV has  
a leading, scaled, global Studios business,  
a high growth Streaming service and a  
cash generative linear advertising business.  
This ensures that we are well placed to  
grow profits from here as we continue to 
drive material efficiencies, invest behind  
our strategic priorities and deliver returns  
to shareholders.
CAROLYN MCCALL 
CHIEF EXECUTIVE
 
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ITV plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2023
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
Our KPIs and related targets for 2026 align our performance and accountability 
with our strategic priorities. This is detailed further in the Strategy section of the 
Chief Executive’s Statement. 
All KPIs are reported on a six-month basis. The following are reported quarterly: ITV Studios total revenue growth, total digital revenue,  
total streaming hours, share of commercial viewing and share of top 1,000 commercial broadcast TV programmes. 
Refer to the Operating and Financial Performance Review for further details on the performance of all our KPIs.
ITV GROUP
Adjusted EPS1
Adjusted EPS represents the adjusted 
profit after tax1 attributable to each equity 
share in the year. It is an important measure 
as we aim to create long-term value for our 
shareholders.
Performance
Adjusted EPS decreased by 41% from 13.2p 
to 7.8p. Strong growth in ITV Studios 
adjusted EBITA1, up 10%, was offset by a 
decline in total advertising revenues (TAR), 
down 8%, and an increase in M&E costs 
from the planned investment in content for 
ITVX, higher streaming related costs and 
third-party commercial payaways.
2023
7.8p
‑41% on 2022
2020
2021
2022
2023
10.9
15.3
13.2
7.8
Cost savings
Cost savings are permanent savings to the 
business. Managing our cost base and 
mitigating the impact of inflation is key as 
we aim to run our business as efficiently as 
possible and fund investments in line with 
our strategic priorities.
Performance
We delivered £24 million of permanent  
cost savings in 2023, which is ahead of the 
£15 million in year target. To date, we have 
delivered £130 million of our 2019 to 2026 
target of £150 million. 
2023
£130m
cumulative savings 
since 2018
We are now in the early stages of a new 
strategic restructuring and efficiency 
programme across the Group which will 
deliver incremental annualised savings  
of at least £50 million gross per year, giving 
a £30 million in year gross benefit in 2024. 
2026 Target
Deliver over £150 million of cumulative savings between 2018 
and 2026
Profit to cash conversion1
One of ITV’s strengths is its cash 
generation, reflecting our ongoing tight 
management of working capital balances. 
Profit to cash conversion serves as a key 
indicator in measuring our effectiveness. It 
is calculated as our adjusted cash flow as a 
proportion of adjusted EBITA1.
Performance
Profit to cash conversion was 102% in  
the year. The strong outturn compared to 
2022 was due a favourable movement in 
working capital from the unwind of 
programme rights and inventory previously 
built up for the launch of ITVX. In addition,  
there has been a reduction in production 
inventories predominantly in the US as a 
result of the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strike.
2023
102%
2020
2021
2022
2023
138
80
75
102
2026 Target
Maintain at around 85%
1. 
 A full reconciliation between our adjusted and statutory results is provided in the APMs section
EXPAND STUDIOS
UK AND GLOBAL PRODUCTION
ITV Studios total organic revenue growth2
ITV Studios total organic revenue growth 
measures the scale and success of our 
global studios business. It includes 
revenues from programmes sold to M&E, 
which as a vertically integrated producer, 
broadcaster and streamer, is an important 
part of our business. 
Performance
Total organic revenue was up 3% following a 
strong 2022 which was up 14%. Organic 
revenue excludes the benefit of our 
acquisitions of Plimsoll Productions and 
Lingo Pictures in 2022, and the 
unfavourable impact of a £15 million foreign 
exchange movement. 
ITV Studios total revenue grew 4% to  
£2,170 million. 
ITV Studios adjusted EBITA2 margin %
This is the key profitability measure used 
across the ITV Studios business. The 
margin is calculated on ITV Studios total 
revenue.
Performance
ITV Studios adjusted EBITA margin was 
13.2% (2022: 12.4%), which is restored 
within the targeted range.
Total high‑end scripted hours
Total high-end scripted hours is an 
important measure in assessing the 
success of our strategic priority, to grow our 
scripted business. High-end scripted hours 
include new commissions or returning 
franchises that have a higher cost per hour 
than continuing drama. 
Performance
The number of high-end scripted hours 
produced by ITV Studios increased by 14% 
to 316 hours in 2023 driven by titles such as 
Big Beasts, Fool Me Once and Love Island  
in the UK, and Twin Love and Physical  
in the US.
Number of formats sold in three or more countries3
The Studios business is focused on 
maximising the international monetisation 
of high-value formats. A good measure of 
international success is when a format is 
commissioned in three or more countries in 
the year. 
Performance
The number of formats sold in three or 
more countries was 19, which was flat 
year-on-year. Recent formats that have 
sold in three or more countries include;  
My Mum, Your Dad; Pranked; and  
Song of my Life.
ITV plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2023
15
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S
T
R
A
T
E
G
C
R
E
P
O
R
T
2023
+3% on 2022
2020
0
2021
2022
2023 3
14
31
Note: 2020 was down 25% due to the 
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2026 Target
Grow by 5% on average per annum (from 2021)
2023
13.2%
+0.8 basis points  
on 2022
2020
2021
2022
2023
2026 Target
Deliver in the 13% to 15% range
11
12
12.4
13.2
2020
112
2021
2022
2023
2020
2021
2022
2023
175
276
316
14
15
19
19
2023
316hrs
+14% on 2022
2026 Target
Grow to 400 hours
2023
19 
formats
flat on 2022
2026 Target
Grow to 20 formats
% of ITV Studios total revenue from streaming platforms
Over the medium term, the key driver of 
growth in the global content market is 
expected to be from streaming platforms. 
The percentage of ITV Studios total 
revenue from streaming platforms is an 
important measure of delivering its 
strategic priority of further diversifying its 
customer base and meeting its 2026 total 
organic revenue growth target. 
Performance
The percentage of ITV Studios total 
revenue from streaming platforms grew to 
32%, hitting the target three years early. 
Meeting this target is impacted by the 
phasing of deliveries and therefore our 
target is to maintain at least 30%. Notable 
deliveries to streaming platforms in 2023 
included: Squid Games: The Challenge  
and One Piece for Netflix, and Franklin for 
Apple TV+.
2023
32%
+10 basis points  
on 2022
2020
10
2021
13
2022
2023
22
32
2026 Target
Grow to 30% of ITV Studios total revenue
2.  Our APMs are defined within the APMs section of this report. It also includes a full reconciliation between our adjusted and statutory results
3.   Spin-offs such as Love Island Games, are considered distinct from the original format (i.e. Love Island) for the purpose of this indicator
 
16 
ITV plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2023
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS CONTINUED
M&E 
SUPERCHARGE STREAMING
Total digital revenue1
M&E
OPTIMISE BROADCAST
Share of top 1,000 commercial broadcast TV programmes5
Total digital revenue comprises all revenue 
streams from our digital businesses, 
predominantly digital advertising. It is an 
important measure of the acceleration of 
our digital strategy as we supercharge 
streaming. 
Performance
Total digital revenue grew 19% to £490 
million. The growth was driven by digital 
advertising revenue, which was up 21%.  
This was marginally offset by a decline in 
competition revenues through ITV Win.
2023
£490m
+19% on 2022
2020
2021
2022
2023
248
347
411
490
Maintaining our strength in delivering mass 
commercial linear TV audiences enables 
ITV to attract and retain advertisers and 
command a premium from them. 
ITV plc  Annual Report and Accounts 2023
17
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R
A
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E
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C
R
E
P
O
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T
93
93
93
91
32.8
33.1
33.8
32.6
Performance
Our 2023 share was 91%, which was down 
2% points year-on-year, with 2022 
benefiting significantly from the FIFA World 
Cup. In 2023, dramas such as Unforgotten 
and The Bay, entertainment formats such 
as Britain’s Got Talent and Saturday Night 
Takeaway and sporting events such as 
Rugby World Cup, helped to maintain ITV’s 
strong commercial mass audience 
proposition.
2023
91%
‑2 basis points on 
2022
2020
2021
2022
2023
2026 Target
Maintain a share of at least 80%
Share of commercial viewing6 
Maintaining ITV’s number one position in 
the UK broadcast market helps us attract 
and retain advertisers and is vital to 
maximising advertising revenues. 
Performance
Share of commercial viewing decreased by 
1.2% points to 32.6% in 2023, with strong 
viewing for the FIFA World Cup benefiting 
our share in 2022.
2023
32.6%
‑1.2 basis points on 
2022 
2020
2021
2022
2023
2026 Target
Maintain at 33%
5.  The share of top 1,000 commercial broadcast TV programmes is measured by BARB based on viewing figures. This includes TV viewing from transmission and seven days 
post-transmission on catch up, as well as six weeks prior to the transmission window. It excludes programmes with a duration of  Continue reading text version or see original annual report in PDF
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