Gavin Newsom confirms expansion of California film, TV tax credit to $750m

California’s governor Gavin Newsom

California’s governor Gavin Newsom is more than doubling the state’s film and television tax credit programme, bringing in multiple television projects set to generate a predicted US$1.1bn in new economic activity.

The move increases the programme’s annual funding from US$330m to US$750m and introduces updates to boost production, below-the-line jobs and investments rooted in California, which has seen an exodus of production recently.

Yesterday (July 2), Newsom confirmed 16 television shows that will be filming new seasons in the Golden State, which he anticipates will collectively bring in US$1.1bn in total spending and nearly 6,700 cast and crew jobs.

The 16 series include nine renewals, such as HBO Max’s The Pitt, Hulu’s Paradise and CBS’s NCIS: Origins; two pilots; four new shows; and one relocating show, in the form of Amazon-owned Prime Video’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The full list of projects approved for the tax credit is available here.

The California Film Commission will integrate the expanded funding and refundable credit mechanism into its upcoming application cycles, which are scheduled for July 7–9, 2025 (television) and August 25–27, 2025 (film). Updated guidelines and resources will be provided by the Film Commission in the coming days.

While last week’s state budget bill delivered the US$750m expansion, the governor is expected to soon sign additional legislation to modernise and further improve the programme.

In the meantime, the tax credits have become refundable for all projects for the first time since the programme’s inception in 2009, beginning with Program 4.0, which officially commenced on July 1.

It comes after Newsom proposed doubling the state’s film and television tax credit last year to jumpstart California’s ailing production sector, which has lost ground in recent years to other US states and international jurisdictions offering more competitive incentives.