‘Nashville’ Receives $11 Million In Incentives For CMT/Hulu Season

Big Machine Label Group

News that Nashville has been picked up by CMT and Hulu brought waves of approval from key politicians and executives, particularly because the series will continue to be filmed in Nashville.

The total incentive that the CMT/Hulu Season 5 of Nashville will receive is $11 million. This sum includes $8.5 million from the State of Tennessee’s film program, $1 million direct grant from the City of Nashville subject to approval by the Metro Council, $1 million from the Nashville Convention & Visitor’s Corp and city’s Event and Marketing Fund, and $500,000 from producer Ryman Hospitality.

A number of Nashville leaders praised the announcement.

Mayor Megan Barry: “This is great news for Nashville! Not only will hundreds of film production workers be keeping their jobs, we will also be keeping the greatest advertising tool for Music City that we have ever seen. None of this would be possible if it weren’t for the strong outpouring of support from fans all across the globe for the show Nashville. I look forward to welcoming the cast back for Season 5, and hopefully many more to come.”

Randy Boyd, Tennessee Economic and Community Development Director: “Landing this fifth season of Nashville helps push the show into syndication and allows it to live on for decades. The show has been a terrific marketing tool for the state and our musical heritage. We are also excited to support CMT, a company with real Tennessee roots.”

Colin Reed, Chairman and CEO of Ryman Hospitality Properties: “The partnership forged with Hulu and CMT represents the best of both worlds for Nashville, and we are thrilled to have played a role in bringing it to fruition. Nashville has been a driving force for tourism to our city and state since its inception, and Season 5 will continue that momentum by allowing millions of people around the world to get a glimpse of what goes on in Nashville that makes it different from anywhere else on the planet they could visit. I’d like to thank our partners at the Nashville CVC, the City of Nashville and the State of Tennessee for their continued investment in the show and Tennessee’s growing tourism industry.”

Butch Spyridon, President and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp.: “The combination of CMT and Hulu is a significant win. You have CMT’s experience with original content and Hulu’s format where viewers can binge watch the show whenever they want. The social media demand to bring the show back has been overwhelming, and we are thrilled to be able to get to 100 episodes, which has always been the goal to help give the show longevity in syndication. We are proud to be a partner in supporting the show’s return with incentives—being aired in nearly 100 countries is about the best return on investment your money can buy.”

The Season 5 commitment from CMT/Hulu and local partners ensures that Nashville will cross the 100-episode mark, giving it an increased value in syndication and ensuring a much longer lifespan for the show worldwide.

The show will also continue to air all five seasons internationally in over 82 countries. The show has largely been credited with giving the city of Nashville exposure both domestically and worldwide, and the city is on an unprecedented streak of 66 months of tourism growth.

The production employs over 500 full-time Tennessee residents each season and spends a combined $45 million on local cast, crew, goods and services.