‘Nashville’ To Get $12.5 Million from State of Tennessee

The state of Tennessee is slated to contribute up to $12.5 million to ABC’s production of Nashville‘s second season, in order to keep the show’s production and crew in Music City. Metro government will also chip in $500,000, pending council approval, according to The Tennessean. The Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. and Metro’s Event Marketing Fund also will contribute $125,000 each.

“Nashville offers a valuable international platform to showcase our state’s dynamic entertainment industry, while providing a confluence of film and music that is unique only to Tennessee,” said Bill Hagerty, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. “Promoting and assisting this thriving business sector is an integral part of our state’s economic development efforts.”

Principal photography on 24 new episodes will start in mid-July. Nashville recouped 32 percent of its productions costs during the first season, in the form of a grant from the Department of Economic and Community Development, which reimbursed 17 percent of costs along with a 15 percent refundable tax credit from the state Department of Revenue.

Under current law, reimbursement would be limited to a grant covering 25 percent of costs. The new state budget previously included $11.25 million in one-time nonrecurring funds “in anticipation of renewing the incentive specifically for Nashville at the 25 percent level,” state officials said.