OKC Explores Its Own Film & TV Incentive Program

Oklahoma is fast becoming a hot spot for Hollywood and Oklahoma City is looking for a big cut of the action.

It's considering a film and TV incentive plan to go along with the one the state just made bigger last year.

To land big business like Costco and Amazon, Oklahoma City put forward big bucks in the way of economic incentives approved by voters twice in the last 15 years.

“Everyone hates them, but the reality is that's the way the game is played,” said Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt.

Holt hopes new proposed incentives help Oklahoma City become a bigger player in another game: the movie and TV business.

“Film is obviously a growing segment of Oklahoma City's economy,” Holt said.

Film projects spending more than $500,000 and TV projects spending more than $100,000 would be eligible to receive rebates.

Funding would come from voter approved economic development bond dollars.

The payoff would be more local jobs and production dollars being spent in the Oklahoma City metro.

“This incentive with film allows us to compete with other cities, but also compete with other cities in our state,” Holt said.

The proposed incentives program would go along with of the state's $30 million annual film incentive.

It's already luring Hollywood to Oklahoma and helping to green light new production venues.

The Oklahoma Film and Music Office said 33 productions took advantages of state's incentive program in 2021.

The result was more than 10,000 jobs with an economic impact of more than $160 million.

The proposed resolution is being tabled for two weeks while city staff looks at adding language to the proposal.

Councilwoman Nikki Nice expressed concern that the proposal should clearly state an intention to include minority-owned businesses in it’s film and TV incentive program.