In television and motion pictures, a tentpole or tent-pole is a program or film that supports the financial performance of a film studio, television network, or cinema chain.
It is an analogy for the way a strong central pole provides a stable structure to a tent.
A tent-pole film may be expected to support the sale of tie-in merchandise.
In the film industry, tent-poles are sometimes widely released initial offerings in a string of releases and are expected by studios to turn a profit in a short period of time.
[1] A tentpole movie, for example, is a film that is expected to support a wide range of ancillary tie-in products such as toys and games.