CMT ANNOUNCES "NASHCHAT" FIRST-EVER SOCIAL INTERACTIVE FAN HANGOUT AND CONVERSATION COMPANION TO THE HIT SERIES "NASHVILLE"

Debuts Immediately Following The Two-Hour Premiere of "Nashville" on Thursday, January 5 at 11pm ET on CMT's Facebook Page With Chris Carmack As First Guest

Nashville, January 4, 2017 - CMT today announced "NASHCHAT" the first-ever social interactive fan hangout and conversation companion to the hit series "Nashville," across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat including a Facebook Live chat that will debut immediately following the two-hour premiere of "Nashville" with star Chris Carmack (Will Lexington) set as the first guest on January 5 at 11pm ET on CMT's Facebook page. "Nashville" is produced by Lionsgate, ABC Studios and Opry Entertainment.

"Fans saved 'Nashville.' Now we're inviting fans into our living room to celebrate the characters, stories and music they love," said Brian Philips, President of CMT. "With 'NASHCHAT', we'll create a home across all social media culminating with a Facebook Live interactive recap and fan chat immediately following new episodes."

Hosted by "Nashville" superfan and radio personality, Amy Brown (@RadioAmy) each episode of "NASHCHAT," coming live from a living room in Nashville, features cast and crew interviews, original music, "Nashville" insiders and of course the fans recapping each new episode just after the show ends.

Between episodes, CMT will continue the conversation across all social media. CMT Instagram and Instagram Live will host "NASHCHAT" behind the scenes, CMT Snapchat will feature "Nashville" cast content, fan community content, games and contests. CMT Twitter will drive the daily conversation with the fans including unveiling new memes and clips, as well as quizzes, photos, recaps and episodic promos.

"Nashville" is set against the backdrop of the city's music scene and follows Rayna Jaymes and Juliette Barnes. Both women face personal and professional challenges as they navigate their paths as artists and individuals. Surrounding them and often complicating their lives are their family, friends and, in some cases, lovers, as well as the up-and-coming performers and songwriters trying to get ahead in the business. Music City can mean so many things to different people. In "Nashville," musicians and songwriters are at the heart of the storm driven by their own ambitions. Some are fueled by their creativity and passion for fame. Others struggle to cope with the pressures of success and are doing everything in their power to stay on top.

"Nashville" stars Connie Britton as Rayna Jaymes, Hayden Panettiere as Juliette Barnes, Clare Bowen as Scarlett O'Connor, Chris Carmack as Will Lexington, Charles Esten as Deacon Claybourne, Jonathan Jackson as Avery Barkley, Sam Palladio as Gunnar Scott, Maisy Stella as Daphne Conrad and Lennon Stella as Maddie Conrad. In addition, the upcoming season will feature Joseph David-Jones as Clay, Rhiannon Giddens as Hallie Jordan, Jen Richards as Allyson Del Lago, and Cameron Scoggins as Zach Welles in recurring roles.

Produced by Lionsgate, ABC Studios and Opry Entertainment, production is currently underway in Nashville. The series is executive produced by Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick (the creators of "Thirtysomething"), Steve Buchanan and Callie Khouri.

The series airs in 225 territories worldwide. Since its debut, the show has inspired 10 soundtracks, including a Christmas album, which have collectively sold more than one million album units and over 5 million single-track downloads to date. It has also been nominated for multiple Emmy, Golden Globe and Critics Choice awards.

About CMT

CMT, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), is the leading television and digital authority on country music and entertainment, reaching more than 92 million homes in the U.S. CMT, CMT.com and CMT Radio offer an unparalleled mix of music, news, live concerts and series and are the top resource for country music on demand. The network's digital platforms include the 24-hour music channel, CMT Music, CMT App, CMT Mobile and CMT VOD.