– A new Limerick-based hub aims to turn Ireland’s unscripted tax credit into a launchpad for international formats, inward investment and local skills development
l-r: Minister for Communications, Culture and Sport Patrick O’Donovan, Mayor of Limerick John Moran, and CEO and founder of BiggerStage Pat Kiely
Irish independent production company BiggerStage has officially launched its new Global Production Hub at Troy Studios in Limerick, marking a major step in the company’s expansion and in Ireland’s push to consolidate its position as an international television production base.
The facility was opened on 16 June by Patrick O’Donovan TD, Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, in the presence of Irish and international television industry figures. BiggerStage, founded in 2021 by former TV3/Virgin Media Television managing director Pat Kiely, has promised a multi-million-euro investment in the hub, which is being positioned as a global centre of excellence for television production.
Since its launch, BiggerStage has worked to attract major international productions to Ireland, partnering with companies including FOX Entertainment, MGM, Studio Ramsay Global, Talpa Studios and, more recently, ITV Studios. The new base at Troy Studios is also being presented as one of the first major proof points for Ireland’s recently introduced unscripted production tax credit.
“Thanks to the Irish Government’s introduction of a tax credit for unscripted production, the Global Production Hub at Troy Studios is open for business as a centre of excellence for television production,” stated Kiely. He added that Ireland’s “creative reputation, world-class infrastructure and highly skilled talent” leave the country “spectacularly positioned” to benefit from changes in viewing habits, content creation and platform consolidation.
The launch also saw the unveiling of Format Factory, a new incubator dedicated to developing and piloting original television-format IP. Based at the Limerick hub, it will allow producers to test, refine and scale unscripted format concepts, combining production infrastructure, creative expertise and emerging technologies.
Several large-scale productions have already been produced at the hub this year, including 99 to Beat with Ken Jeong and Erin Andrews, The Floor with Rob Lowe and Name That Tune with Jane Krakowski for FOX in the USA. A UK version of the latter, hosted by Alison Hammond and produced in partnership with ITV Studios for ITV1, is also set to record there.
Minister O’Donovan said the hub “will not only attract major international players to Limerick”, but also demonstrate Ireland’s capacity “to lead in this space”.
