Irish indie BiggerStage has sealed multimillion-euro agreements with Hackman Capital Partners’ Troy Studios and MBS Group for the creation of an unscripted production hub in County Limerick.
BiggerStage and Troy Studios will work to build a roster of clients filming format adaptations at the Limerick hub, with BiggerStage producing projects on the ground while supporting training and skills development. Troy Studios spans 26 acres and includes four sound stages totalling 100,000 sq. ft. The new format production hub will also be used as an IP development incubator, allowing producers to pilot at scale.
At the Prime Time production conference in Canada, Pat Kiely, CEO and founder of BiggerStage, said, “We are truly entering a golden age for the television industry in Ireland. Europe’s first unscripted tax credit will help Ireland compete more effectively on the world stage to become the home of global formats, the fastest-growing area of television production. This investment in Troy Studio will allow us to offer a world-class base for international production. Irish crews are renowned as the best in the business, and we look forward to creating a sustainable centre of excellence in Limerick, surrounded by great infrastructure, expanding centres of learning, and a brilliant hospitality industry. Ireland’s creative industry is on a real high; never has there been a better time to expand our global offering and drive more investment in jobs, training, development, and infrastructure.”
Patrick O’Donovan, Ireland’s Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, also spoke at Prime Time, saying, “This announcement is yet another strong signal that Ireland is open, competitive and ambitious when it comes to investment in the creative services sector. The creation of a global hub for unscripted production at Troy Studios will not only attract major international players to Limerick, but it also illustrates how Ireland has the infrastructure, talent, creativity, and production expertise to lead in this space.”
Elaine Geraghty, managing director at Troy Studios, added, “The new deal firmly positions Limerick and Ireland at the forefront of global television production, supported by the unique advantages presented by Ireland’s unscripted tax credit. Together, we are dedicated to building a global production hub that will benefit the creative sector, generate employment, and deliver outstanding original content for audiences worldwide.”
