tent pole
n.— «It’s easy to see how big movies—called “tent poles” in industry parlance—can be big risks. “You can’t afford too many tent poles in a year,” said Jeff Sine, the global head of media at UBS Warburg.» —“H’Wood Mulls Big-Flick Costs” by Hilary Kramer New York Post Aug. 10, 2003. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)