And the real winner of American game shows is... Ireland

Studios benefit from US telly production exodus overseas

- CHRISTOPHER BUCKTIN

FOR a cash prize... which country is the latest home for some of the top American game shows?

The answer is Ireland, as television networks take advantage of huge tax breaks to film episodes here and in other countries outside the US.

Insiders say a US game show can cost up to €1.8million an episode. Irish tax breaks can cut that by hundreds of thousands.

The only Americans on set are the contestants, executive producers and writers - the crew, the entire audience and all other studio staff are Irish.

Ratings show nearly half of Americans now watch streaming services instead of broadcast or cable, which is hammering advertising revenues. Fox already makes four prime time shows overseas. Hangover star Ken Jeong's 99 To Beat is filmed in London, while Celebrity Name That Tune, The Floor and Beat Shazam are made in Ireland.