North American firm MBS Group, a major player in film production and studio management, emerged as a leading bidder for the Ciudad de la Luz complex in Alicante, a property managed by the Generalitat Valenciana. The company has an extensive portfolio, including acclaimed productions such as Avatar 2, The Mandalorian, and other high-profile projects. In this bid round, MBS Group’s offering stood out as the top submission in the evaluation process, reflecting its experience across large-scale audiovisual ventures.
The executive board of the Digital Transformation Projects Association (SPDT) authorized the project last Monday, advancing the bid classification for operators seeking to run the City of Light. In the global assessment, MBS Ciudad de la Luz SL achieved an evaluative score of 93.93 points, marking a strong endorsement of its qualifications and proposed management approach.
The competition, initiated by the former socialist administration at Consell and now overseen by the current SPDT under the Innovation Department, aims to recognize professional services that enable effective operational management and robust marketing for the audiovisual complex and its content production. The decision was formalized by the executive committee, which authorized the company’s general manager to proceed with the administrative documentation. The process includes an ten-business-day window to submit paperwork and a fifteen-day period to address any potential claims. If no issues arise, the final award could be confirmed within a month, according to Innovation officials.
After MBS Group, Roots Asset Management SL and Drago Broadcast Services SL (Spanish Secuoya) followed in the ranking, scoring 93.93 points and 84.27 points respectively. Other contenders included Navarro Norte SL (73.47), Stage Fifty LTD (69.03), UTE New Management City of Light (57.46), and Mediaproducto SLU (52.57). Six bids were presented to the competition and are now evaluated by the technicians responsible for the selection.
MBS Group is an American entity focused on film production and studio management, with more than ten cinema complexes across the United Kingdom and the United States. The submission highlights access to governance for the City of Light through works tied to major productions, including James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water and The Mandalorian, among others.
Hackman Capital Partners backs another major studio services provider, with a portfolio exceeding 900 productions per year. Its client roster includes major platforms and studios such as HB, Warner, Paramount, Netflix, Marvel, TNT and Disney, underscoring the competitive landscape for Alicante’s audiovisual hub.
From Avatars to Blockbusters, Big Players Aim to Shape the City of Light
The bid package for Ciudad de la Luz totaled 3,824,152.60 euros for a five-year term, excluding VAT. The agreement covers a professional team responsible for both operations management and marketing services, ensuring the complex remains a vibrant production hub. The most valuable offering from MBS Group amounts to approximately 3,100,000 euros (VAT excluded). According to Innovation, the proposal included technical reports and marketing contributions that raised the overall value, resulting in a marketing allocation of 6.50 percent, with potential increases up to 7.5 percent in favorable conditions. This structure helped offset the lower base price with substantial marketing value.
Officials from the Ministry of Innovation, Industry, Trade and Tourism emphasize that Ciudad de la Luz can become an economic engine for the province of Alicante and the Valencian Community. The emphasis is on professionalizing its management through an internationally recognized operator. The current SPDT team is praised for enabling resumed filming, with upcoming projects such as Alejandro Amenábar’s Prisoner and other American productions anticipated, signaling a rebound in Hollywood activity after industry-wide disruptions. The local councilor affirmed that the future of Ciudad de la Luz looks bright and that the studios will be developed to serve as a global reference point in the film sector.
Overall, the bid signals a strategic push to leverage international expertise in film production and studio management, aligning with regional goals to boost economic activity through creative industries. The coming weeks will reveal whether the selected operator progresses to final documentation and formal approval, marking a new chapter for Alicante’s City of Light.