"NASHVILLE" PREMIERE HITS ALL THE RIGHT NOTES ON CMT

Critically Acclaimed Season Premiere Ranks As The Most Watched Original Telecast in CMT History

New Episodes Premiere Thursdays at 9pm ET/PT Only on CMT

NASHVILLE - January 10, 2017 - The critically acclaimed season premiere of "Nashville" was the most watched original cable program of the night, generating record-breaking numbers and now ranks as the most-watched original telecast in CMT history, delivering more than 3.1 million fans across two networks on CMT and Nick at Nite (more than 2 million to CMT alone) for a stellar 1.34 rating with A 18-49 and 1.76 rating with W 18-49, making it CMT's highest rated original series ever. The numbers jump even higher with A 25-54 (1.49) and W 25-54 (2.04). "Nashville" is produced by Lionsgate, ABC Studios and Opry Entertainment.

On CMT alone, the premiere notched an impressive .80 rating with A 18-49 and .93 rating with A 25-54, delivering 78% new viewers to the network. With women, the series pulled a 1.03 rating with W 18-49 and 1.26 with W 25-54, the highest rated telecast for this demo in CMT history. The debut topped off a strong week for CMT, which saw its highest rated week since 2014 with A 18-49.

The premiere was a hit on social as well receiving overwhelmingly positive reaction from the fans, ranking as #1 on Nielsen Social Content ratings series & specials for premiere night with #NashvilleCMT trending for 4 hours in the US. The brand new social aftershow "NashChat" reached more than 1 million fans via a Facebook live chat on CMT's page.

New episodes continue on Thursday at 9pm ET/PT only on CMT. This week, Maddie begins an internship at a recording studio and meets a street musician. Avery struggles producing a young YouTube sensation. Juliette meets her guardian angel. Click here for a preview.

"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.