MOME released its NYC Film and Television Industry Economic Impact Study 2021 (view/download study here), detailing specifics on the film and television industry’s significance and contribution to New York City’s economy. In 2019, the industry supported in total approximately 185,000 jobs, $18.1 billion in wages, and $81.6 billion in total economic output.
Over the past fifteen years, direct jobs in the NYC television and film industry have grown at an annual rate of 3%, outpacing the city’s overall rate of 2%.
The groundbreaking report arrives as New York City begins to recover from the pandemic, which highlighted just how important this industry is to the city's identity, the livelihood of many New Yorkers, and the local economy. The industry was at an all-time high when COVID hit, with 80 series shooting in NYC as of the 2018-2019 season – which represented a 34% increase in episodic production since Mayor Bill de Blasio took office in 2014.
Despite COVID-19's impact, where TV and film productions were shut down from March through June of 2020, the industry has been coming back strong. Overall production has reached pre-pandemic levels, with at least 34 projects filming on the ground throughout the five boroughs by the end of August 2021.