European Broadcasting Union

In support of European public service media's digital transformation, EBU set out to define a cloud-first strategy. At the core of the project was the foundation for the sovereignty, agility, and independence of media organizations.

The need for a collective strategy was driven by three main forces. First, the media landscape is shifting – traditional portals are declining, demanding that public service media remain visible on audiences' preferred platforms. Second, rapid technological improvements encourage a cloud-first approach to support new capabilities. Finally, recent EU legislation demands secure, well-governed operation and data management, reinforcing the need for sovereign cloud environments.

Moreover, safeguarding the independence of public service media from external interference has never been more critical. Digital sovereignty ensures that European broadcasters maintain operational control and preserve independence.

EBU partnered with us to help set European public media on this track, creating a strategy and a practical roadmap that respects both the independence of individual organizations and the power of collective action.

Modern strategy can't be written in isolation, especially when the world changes as rapidly as it does today. We approached this work with a principle: strategy emerges through dialogue, not decree.

We started with EBU's cloud vision statement and kicked off with stakeholders to establish a shared understanding of the big picture and the why behind it. From there, we built the strategy iteratively – in constant conversation with the people who would ultimately use it.

Over the course of the project, we interviewed Members and stakeholders from EBU's Member organizations. Each conversation revealed how different organizations understood the expected results, what they needed from a shared strategy, and where the gaps existed between documented procedures and day-to-day reality.

These interviews ran in parallel with the strategy work itself. As we learned from conversations, the strategy evolved.

The strategy is built around four guiding principles that suggest how European public service media can approach cloud transformation.

1. Cloud-first:

A practical hybrid approach where cloud is the default choice, carefully balancing performance, security, and cost efficiency.

2. Proactive sovereignty:

Safeguarding data and operational autonomy through rigorous compliance and risk-informed workload placement.

3. Partnership advantage:

Harnessing the EBU's collective influence to obtain cloud-native, media-focused, and fully compliant vendor offerings.

4. Shared solutions and services:

Establishing the foundation for member-led technology initiatives by developing shared frameworks, proofs of concept, and reusable capabilities that speed up learning while reducing duplication and costs.

Principles without process are just aspiration, so we created a high-level decision-making model that helps members evaluate workloads across four cloud environment lenses: on-premise infrastructure, EBU-coordinated services, European sovereign clouds, and public clouds. Each workload can be assessed through dimensions like sovereignty, performance, security, cost, and sustainability.

The strategy was formally published by EBU in December 2025 and is now guiding cloud transformation across member organizations. Early steps include launching feasibility studies, initiating proofs of concept for shared solutions, aligning procurement and sovereignty practices, and strengthening common technical guidance. Through regular follow-up and active member participation, the approach ensures steady, visible progress toward a resilient, sovereign, and collaborative cloud ecosystem for European public service media.

→ Strategic advisory
→ Stakeholder interviews and research
→ Stakeholder interviews and research
→ Cloud strategy development
→ Implementation model and OKR structures
→ Decision-making models and technical guidance