Sky : announces search for next homegrown Irish hit

Sky, Europe's leading entertainment company, has announced a boost to the Irish production sector with a new content fund of over €2m (£2m) for its Sky 1 channel as it searches for a new homegrown Irish hit entertainment show.

The fund builds on Sky's previous investment in Irish productions with the success of shows like the International Emmy Award winning Moone Boy and the three-series hit, 50 Ways to Kill Your Mammy.

Philip Edgar Jones, Head of Entertainment at Sky, was in Dublin this week calling on the Irish Independent Production sector to submit their programming ideas in a bid to find the next hit show. Any submissions should have a focus across the Entertainment / Factual Entertainment and Comedy Ents genres for Sky 1 as the channel moves to an edgier, more mischievous and grown up audience appeal, with a major return to entertainment and a renewed commitment to comedy.

From October viewers will enjoy three new, exciting entertainment shows on Sky 1 promising to get people talking and get their adrenalin pumping.

Sing: Ultimate A Cappella, hosted by Cat Deeley, bringing together 30 brilliant and diverse a cappella groups (including two Irish acts) in a competition based on raw vocal talent, will air on Sky 1 this October while Carmageddon, an epic clash where pimped-up battle ready cars will face their judgement day and Revolution - a new large scale action-entertainment show that pitches skateboards, BMXers and skaters against one other, will air in 2018.

The move is part of Sky's commitment to invest in local production in each of its territories, with cross-over appeal to Sky customers across Europe. In Italy, Sky has produced international hits The Young Pope and Gomorrah, and this year will bring Babylon Berlin, one of the most ambitious non-English language series ever made in Germany, to customers across the Group.

Alongside Sky Original Productions, Sky continues to invest in acquired content for customers in Ireland, including 3pm Premier League games exclusive to Irish viewers, GAA rights and recently launched a Sky News Dublin bureau which will see Dublin Correspondent Daren McCaffrey joining Sky Ireland at the end of this month. Sky Ireland is also working on a new co-funded project with the Irish Film Board, details of which will be announced in the autumn.

Phil Edgar-Jones, Head of Entertainment at Sky, said: 'Ireland has a thriving production sector and we want to bring the biggest and best of Irish entertainment to Sky customers across Europe. Sky 1 is the home of entertainment and we are looking for bold, action-packed shows. We're very excited and encouraged by the discussions we have been having with Irish Indies.'

JD Buckley, Managing Director, Sky Ireland, said:'This is wonderful news for both Sky Ireland and for writers, producers and directors working here. This €2m + content fund again underpins Sky's commitment to Ireland and to producing great original content here. We've already enjoyed great success with programmes such as 50 Ways to Kill Your Mammy and Moone Boy and we're excited by the prospect of yet another creative hit coming out of Ireland.'

Click here for supporting imagery of Phil Edgar Jones & JD Buckley

ENDS

For more information:
Head of PR, Sky Ireland
Sharon McHugh
Sharon.McHugh@sky.ie
+353 87 922 4143

Notes to editors:

About Sky

Sky is Europe's leading entertainment company, serving 22.5 million customers across five countries - UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria and Italy. The company has annual revenues of £12.9 billion and is Europe's leading investor in television content with annual programming spend of over £6 billion.

From exclusive partnerships with HBO and Showtime, to Sky Original Productions, Sky offers the best and broadest range of content along with the best viewing experience to suit each and every customer. Whether that's through the multi-award winning next generation box, Sky Q, or Sky's contract-free online streaming service, NOW TV, customers have access to the latest movies, drama and sports wherever and whenever they like. This is all supported by Sky's best in class customer service.

Sky's success is not just based on what the company does but how it does it. Named as one of the Top 10 Green Companies in the World by Newsweek, one of the world's most recognised rankings of business's environmental performance, Sky ensures its responsible business strategy is embedded right across the group.

Sky has over 31,000 employees and is listed as one of The Times Top 50 employers for women. Sky is listed on the London Stock Exchange (SKY).

Sky employs just under 1000 people in Ireland with over 750 of those based at its Head Office in Burlington Road in Dublin.