9-1-1: Nashville might be a fictional drama, but its multi-million dollar tax incentive has sparked some very real-life drama in a new government waste report.
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The Nashville-based Beacon Center’s “Pork Report” highlights a $10 million tax incentive from the Tennessee Entertainment Commission for Nashville 9-1-1, a fictional show about first responders in Music City.
The incentive package is the biggest the Volunteer State has ever rolled out for a TV show, stealing the spotlight from the amount doled out for filming Nashville back in 2015.
The campy show, already notorious for scenes like kites picking up children, has little seriousness to offer… except for Tennessee tax dollars going to waste.
The “Pork Report” points out that given that data consistently shows a poor return on investment for film incentives, 9-1-1: Nashville is “facing less-than-favorable reviews,” (“That flying kite scene was about the dumbest s— I’ve ever seen on television,” one Reddit user wrote) and the previous 9-1-1 spin-off (Lone Star) has already been canceled, “it seems unlikely Tennessee taxpayers will see any positive economic impact from these handouts.”
“Instead of funding a fictional emergency crew, tax dollars could be better spent supporting real-life first responders, who actually live in Tennessee. But it seems the state would rather pay millions for ‘action’ while real first responders don’t get a ‘cut,'” the scathing report reads.
9-1-1: Nashville’s Tax Incentive Voted “Pork of the Year”
This year’s Pork Report highlights the top three examples of government waste in the state for 2025. Leading the list, with 35% of the vote, is the $10 million taxpayer-funded incentive given to the critically panned TV show 9-1-1: Nashville, earning the title of “Pork of the Year.”
Runners-up included Ford Motor Company and the City of Memphis. Ford, which received nearly $1 billion in state incentives, announced it would delay vehicle production in Blue Oval City until 2029—the fourth delay since the project’s inception. The City of Memphis purchased the outdated Sheraton Memphis Downtown Hotel, which needs extensive repairs. To cover the $22 million purchase price, the city issued $30 million in bonds, adding millions more to its debt.