Country star Tim McGraw announced Thursday that he is entering into a partnership with Shareability, a social content studio that specializes in “viral moments,” to start Down Home, a new Nashville-based media, entertainment and marketing company.
According to the announcement, Down Home will be “dedicated to connecting McGraw’s country music audience with Hollywood and brands by producing film, TV and digital media that focuses on relatable stories that capture the essence and spirit of everyday Americans.”
No titles or specific projects were announced as part of the unveiling, but the new company is said to have two scripted series in development with Skydance Media, with the intention of following up with feature film and animation projects. In a statement, Joel Bergvall, Down Home’s head of film and television, said, “People want stories that move them, and that starts with characters they can relate to. We’re focused on underdogs, unlikely heroes, and people striving for their sense of family, community, and belonging.”
Said McGraw, “Country music has always been about storytelling. Our stories are honest vignettes of life and family and community. I think there’s a longing for that. For me, that’s Down Home. That’s how I grew up, those are the stories I like to tell, and that’s what I want our company to be about.”
The company released a minute-long video in which McGraw talks about a longing for “together and community” as part of his vision for Down Home.
Shareability founderTim Staples is the new company’s co-founder and CEO. Another co-founder, Brian Kaplan, of McGraw’s management company, is chief strategy officer.
Down Home is said to be the culmination of a first-look deal that McGraw and his management company, EM.co, had with David Ellison’s Skydance, which will develop projects with the new venture. Ellison will also sit on the new company’s board.
Private investments from Nashville-based TriScore Entertainment and the boutique merchant bank the Laurel Group also figure into the new deal.
Shareability’s Staples cited some of McGraw’s past and present TV and film work as pertinent to where the new company is headed. “From‘1883’to‘Friday Night Lights,’ or songs like ‘Humble and Kind,’ Tim McGraw knows how to connect with this audience in a way that can be really powerful for both Hollywood and brands,” Staples said.
