California top of US TV filming destinations

California has again come out on top as the leading destination for new TV projects, boasting a 44% market share with 205 out of 465 total tracked series in 2018-19, according to FilmLA’s 2019 Television Report.

For new projects, California’s top competitors include the state of New York (with 29 projects), Canada’s province of British Columbia (24), and the state of Georgia (20).

The California Film & Television Tax Credit Program continues to support local production. According to data shared by the state’s film commission, the current crop of incentivized TV series in production sustains thousands of cast and crew jobs and tens of thousands of opportunities for extras.

Overall, there were 196 new projects in production (67 broadcast, 53 cable and 76 streaming projects); a 23% rise from the 2017-18 season. Of those, 72 (37%) filmed in the Golden State (28 one-hour and 44 half-hour). 

“This report finally allows us to uncover where digital production makes the most economic impact,” said Paul Audley, president of FilmLA. “Any jurisdiction fortunate enough to serve as a backdrop to these projects is positioned to do well.”

The report also shows a dramatic rise in the amount of digital streaming content for both new projects and live-action scripted series. The number of digitally distributed original series in production has increased 2,300% from the 2010-11 season. While the number of new digital projects nearly doubled between 2017-18 2018-19, increasing approximately 85.3% in one year.