tentpole

Etymology

tent + pole

noun

  1. One of the poles used to hold up a tent.
  2. (US, attributive, figurative, film, television, theater) A large-scale entertainment production that is a major source of revenue for its studio, television network, or investors.
    His [James Rolfe's] reasoning dances around the simple fact that has set this innocuous-seeming movie apart from its fellow blockbusters this summer—that it’s a tentpole genre film starring women. 2016-05-18, David Sims, “The Outcry Against the All-Female ‘Ghostbusters’ Remake Gets Louder”, in The Atlantic

verb

  1. (broadcasting) To schedule a popular programme between two newer or less popular ones in the hope that viewers will watch them.
    Coordinate term: hammock

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