£4.4m pre-tax for makers of Live At The Apollo

The production company behind TV shows such as Live At The Apollo and Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow made £4.4million before tax last year.

Accounts for Open Mike Productions just made available at Companies House show that the company turned over £20.9million over the year – meaning that they are making a pre-tax profit margin of 21 per cent.

Although takings were down slightly on 2013’s £21.7million, profits were up. After-tax profits rose from £2.65million to £3.56million for the year ending January 31, 2014.

Directors Jack Dee and Addison Cresswell, the late agent, took just under £3million each out of the company in dividends over the year. Following Cresswell’s death in December at the age of 53, Open Mike’s head of production, Andrew Beint, became a co-director.

Over the year Open Mike was paid £3.7million from sister company Off The Kerb, the agency which represents acts such as McIntyre, Dee, Jonathan Ross, Alan Carr and Lee Evans, for production costs, royalties and production services.

The company also made £192,564 in charitable donations over the year.

The report says: ‘The directors are pleased with the growth in the level of profits for the financial year. The company plans to continue to produce established productions whilst developing and producing original content.’

Published: 7 Nov 2014