Behind every hit show is a crew, a permit, a city offer. In 2025, Los Angeles is betting on incentives to revive its entertainment industry.
Earlier this year, California expanded its Film & Television Tax Credit Program, raising the ceiling from $330 million to $750 million. The goal: to fight runaway production in Canada and states like Georgia.
In its first round, the expanded program awarded credits to 22 television projects, projected to generate $1.1 billion and support 6,500 cast and crew members statewide.
Some shows that had relocated to other states or countries are now returning operations to California thanks partly to this incentive.
But the recovery is fragile. FilmLA data shows that in Q2 2025, on-location production in Greater L.A. declined significantly: feature shoots fell 21.4% year-over-year; total shoot days dropped.
The tax credit is being viewed by many as a lifeline: a way for Los Angeles to remain competitive, reignite local infrastructure, and preserve the ecosystem of crew, studios, and institutions that makes the city a global entertainment hub.
