One of the most important aspects of a media city is the offering of government incentives to attract production. From tax rebates to salary bonuses to cash rebates, many locations are rolling out the financial red carpet to attract film and television production. Of the cities in our analysis, 85% offer some form of government incentive.

While most locations in the United States offer tax rebates and other incentives for film and television production, some of the most generous incentives (with the exception of New York) can be found outside the United States. Melbourne offers tax rebates of 40%. Dublin, Paris, and New York each offer rebates of 30% or more. Most locations in our rankings from the United States and Canada offer rebates in the 20–25% range.

Lagos and Mumbai, both regional centres for film and television, offer no tax rebates or other incentives for production to move to their regions. However, both markets have such strong domestic production and low costs that offering extra incentives may be superfluous.

While there is debate on the effectiveness of these initiatives in creating local jobs, the effect they have on raising a city’s profile and starting a conversation are unquestionable.

_{Read the articles within Report: Media Cities below.}