NEP acquires Screen Scene Group

NEP has acquired The Screen Scene Group. Financial terms were not disclosed. The transaction will bring all four of The Screen Scene Group’s business into the NEP worldwide network, including Observe, an OB business based in Dublin; Screen Scene, a post production and visual effects business based in Dublin; Digital Space, a satellite uplink business based in Dublin; and OBStv, an OB business based in West London.

Previously, The Screen Scene Group was owned by Jim Duggan and Alan Burns. As part of this transaction, NEP has acquired the entire business. NEP is majority-owned by Crestview Partners with a significant ownership stake held by NEP’s management team.

Headquartered in in the United States, NEP has offices in the UK, Europe, Dubai and Australia. The acquisition of The Screen Scene Group will extend its reach into Ireland while adding post production and VFX capabilities as well as satellite uplink and IP services to its portfolio of solutions.

“The Screen Scene Group is an excellent company, with a fantastic leadership team. They have a great depth of knowledge in their group across all of their businesses. I am excited to work with them to continue to grow the business,” said NEP CEO Kevin Rabbitt. “Not only do we have great confidence in The Screen Scene Group and its directors Alan Burns, Jim Duggan, Jake Walshe, Hubert Montag and Mura O Byrne, we also have confidence in what we see as the tremendous growth potential in Ireland and Europe.”

The Screen Scene Group is involved in live broadcasts of sports and entertainment as well as post production and VFX for broadcast, features, commercials and all digital platforms. All four of their businesses will continue to operate as separate entities under the guidance of their current leadership team, reporting to Steve Jenkins, the President of NEP UK and Ireland.

“The Group is 30 years old this year and Jim Duggan and I have seen it grow from three people to over 90, with knowledge of every aspect of the industry,” said Alan Burns, founder of of The Screen Scene Group and Observe. “We are excited to work with NEP to continue to grow the business and see where we go over the next 30 years.”

Jim Duggan, founder of The Screen Scene Group added, “This will be a fantastic transition for Screen Scene clients and staff. NEP will be able to offer us a much deeper pool of resources to support the expansion of our business as Ireland continues to grow stronger as a centre for TV and film production.”

With the acquisition of The Screen Scene Group, NEP has over 85 HD outside broadcast units; several HD flypacks, satellite uplink trucks; smaller camera systems and other audio visual packages; post production facilities in Dublin, studio facilities in Los Angeles, New York, Connecticut, London, Sydney, and Melbourne; thousands of plasma, LED, and projection video display solutions; and a fleet of mobile LED trucks.