Written by new-contact on May 16, 2014. Posted in Incentive News

Nashville TV drama to stay in Tennessee with new filming incentive deal

Television drama Nashville is to stay in Tennessee and will film a third season on location in its namesake city. The show’s future in the state had been in doubt due to uncertainties about Tennessee’s filming incentive programme, but a deal has now been reached.

Nashville tells the story of an ageing country singer forced to work with a much younger starlet.

The show will get a combined filming incentive package of USD8 million, which is still significantly less than what the show was paid to shoot the second series locally, according to media outlet the Tennessean. Producers were reportedly considering shifting production to Georgia or Texas, before the new deal was made.

“It was not an easy decision to make,” Nashville Mayor Karl Dean told the outlet: “We obviously had lots of conversations and I'm sure it's not the amount they wanted.

“It's been an overwhelmingly good thing for the city. We have a strong tourism economy and a strong convention economy, but this just adds to it in a way we would never be able to do on our own.”

Ryman Hospitality Properties contributed half a million dollars to Nashville’s incentive payment.

It's been an overwhelmingly good thing for the city. We have a strong tourism economy and a strong convention economy, but this just adds to it.

Karl Dean, Mayor of Nashville

Ryman head Colin Reed explained to the outlet: “We're doing it for the ability to communicate what this city has to offer to people who historically have never been exposed to country music and the music scene of this fabulous city. That's why our company is so bullishly invested in this."

Getting the best filming incentive deal remains a crucial factor in deciding where high-end TV productions choose to shoot. The producers of political drama House of Cards postponed filming in Maryland and threatened to consider shooting elsewhere until a new deal was negotiated with state authorities.