It is hard to understate the value of the TV series, "Nashville," to the state of Tennessee. Coupled with a thriving national and global tourism industry, the exposure "Nashville" gave to Tennessee has helped fuel Middle Tennessee's and Nashville's ascent as a destination location.
But more importantly, it has given us as a state momentum in the television and film industry. That momentum has meant jobs. From 2010 to 2016, Tennessee jobs in motion pictures and video production grew 12 percent, pushing Tennessee to seventh nationally for employment in the industry, according to Tennessee Entertainment Commission (TEC). Those jobs average about $58,800 annually, almost 28 percent higher than the average for all industries in Tennessee.
That's why the Media, Entertainment & Technology Alliance (META) supports the recent TEC announcement that the commission was increasing incentives available for scripted television series to 30 percent.
This is a tremendous step forward for Tennessee's ability to attract television series here. Adapting TEC incentives to strengthen and solidify Tennessee's presence will help us capitalize on the momentum that's been created here.
The resources TEC has provided to projects across the state have already helped create more than 4,000 jobs with $228.3 million in new income. The economic impact for Tennessee from this activity totaled $370.8 million, according to TEC.
The entertainment industry has a substantial economic impact across the state. Those shows offer Tennessee advertising and exposure that you can't buy, and META is confident Tennessee will see a significant return on investment as these incentives focus on television series using so many hard-working, creative Tennesseans.
Those resources combined with the Tennessee Visual Content Modernization Act of 2018 (SB2236/HB1812), which includes "streaming platforms" as a type of entertainment company eligible for state incentive grants, are just the beginning of the common-sense advancements groups like META and the TEC are working together to employ.
META, a nonprofit trade association, was created to improve business conditions for companies operating at the intersection of entertainment and technology, and all of our efforts at META are in alignment with our mission to make Tennessee the most attractive location in the Southeast for the 21st century entertainment industry.
Julie Carell Stadler, a native Nashville philanthropist and entrepreneur, is a founding member of the Media, Entertainment & Television Alliance and CEO of DanceNetwork and Skyway Studios.