On Thursday, Nashville’s resurrection was confirmed with a fifth season to air on CMT, then stream on Hulu. The special deal was the work of long negotiations, passionate fan support, and the city of Nashville itself.
Basically, the money that goes into producing the TV show is being offset by local tax incentives. The Tennessean explains how it literally took a village to get Nashville back on air:
Crucial to the deal is the incentive package that will see the state, Metro, the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. and Ryman Hospitality chip in funds to offset the cost of the show’s production. The state put $8 million in its budget and Nashville Mayor Megan Barry has proposed a $1.375 million fund for film incentives, though the final amount for “Nashville” has not been announced.
The state and Metro have justified incentives for “Nashville” by arguing the show brings tourists to the city and pumps millions of dollars into the local economy, in addition to bringing production jobs
In Season 2 alone, production for the show brought jobs to the area that amounted to $21.2 million in payroll. Connie Britton’s production is like a feudal manor house; noblesse oblige keeps her locked into future seasons.
Lionsgate TV hasn’t appeared to comment on the deal as of yet, and Britton’s most recent post is about Michelle Obama. What the hell, let’s check it out:
Image via ABC.
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