U.K. film studio market still attracting interest despite looming property tax increase

The U.K. film and TV studio market is continuing to attract investor interest despite a possible negative change to the way the property in the sector is taxed.

Proposed changes to “rateable values” by the U.K. government, which determine the value a property would rent on the open market, are likely to lead to an increase in tax on film and TV real estate.

However, Ray Fang, a real estate partner at Goodwin, said he is seeing an increased interest in the sector. This is set to continue, said Fang, as streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, as well as broadcasters such as the BBC, compete to create content. This competition means demand for studio space is outstripping current supply, particularly in and around London, which has a strong concentration of technical and acting talent, as well as several longstanding and notable studies, such as Pinewood.

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