As an industry, entertainment and media in Ireland don’t always get the credit that it deserves – particularly beyond the nation’s borders. Not only are local productions and businesses sometimes overlooked for those in the UK, particularly, but a lot of the entertainment that comes to market is via the UK or US. Still, it is expected to continue to grow over the next few years, and will potentially be worth over €6.1 billion by 2026.
Helping to power these projections looks to be an increased focussed on making localised or specifically Ireland-facing entertainment products as well as a renewed focus on bringing products to the Emerald Isle.
Historic co-production agreement signed
Many great movies have been made in Ireland in the past, including Braveheart, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, P.S. I Love You and Saving Private Ryan, but the government looks to be actively increasing its efforts to bring more productions to Ireland.
Not long after the release and subsequent global acclaim earned by The Banshees of Inisherin – which was directed and written by British-Irish filmmaker Martin McDonagh – the Irish government announced a new agreement with France. Under the agreement, official co-productions between the Irish and French film industries will allow for local territory benefits, such as local distribution, subsidiaries, and tax incentives.
Given the historic prestige of French cinema, this co-production agreement could do wonders for Irish film. Some will see this as a step towards attempting to eventually reap similar success and attention that filming the TV show Game of Thrones brought to several scenic locations in Northern Ireland. Given that major French media company Canal+ is going to invest some €1 billion in French cinema through to 2028, it’s a great time to team up.
An increased focus on Irish entertainment
Source: Pexels
As noted, a lot of Ireland’s entertainment comes from overseas brands, and while that’s all well and good, some now seek a competitive edge by localising platforms and content to appeal to the Irish specifically. Showcasing exactly how important the market is becoming, the Irish online casino, Clubhouse, was established exclusively for Irish audiences and features the leading games produced around the world. This site can’t be accessed from the UK.
Big hit slots like Book of Dead, Gonzo’s Quest, Big Bass Bonanza, and Gates of Olympus are ever-presents in the Trending section on the Irish platform, but so too are the likes of Elvis Frog, Aviator, and Fruit Million, demonstrating a difference in preferences to other markets.
Of course, being given the selection is key, but it’s clear that tailoring the platform to the Irish market is helping the online casino’s hot start.
To a lesser degree, Netflix seems to have begun localising its content to Ireland. Whenever Netflix enters a new market, it tends to invest in locally-produced content and even create its own localised Netflix originals. Ireland, being an English-speaking market – is mostly left to UK and US content. Still, the Netflix local section does now list two productions: Puffin Rock and The Siege of Jadotville. The latter is an Irish-South African production about the Irish Army during the UN’s 1961 operation in the Congo.
The Irish entertainment and media market is on the upswing, and little contributions like co-production deals, localised platforms, and Irish-facing content is helping to bring more money into the Irish industry.
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Header Image credit: Unsplash