As NBC celebrated a stellar summer, one of its standout events was a touching tribute to the late country singer Toby Keith. “Toby Keith: American Icon”<\/strong>, a two-hour concert special, brought together an array of country music’s brightest stars. With performances by Trace Adkins, Priscilla Block, Luke Bryan, Jelly Roll, Darius Rucker, Carrie Underwood, Clay Walker, and Lainey Wilson, as well as a heartfelt appearance by Keith\u2019s daughter, Krystal Keith, the tribute drew an impressive 4.7 million viewers on NBC on August 28 and the next day on Peacock.<\/p>\n Filmed at Nashville\u2019s iconic Bridgestone Arena, this special wasn’t just another concert. It became the most-watched show across broadcasts that night, outperforming even the lead-in from “America\u2019s Got Talent”<\/strong> by 10%. A part of this success can be attributed to Thinkfactory Media<\/strong>, a production powerhouse known for hit shows such as “Gene Simmons Family Jewels,” “Hatfields & McCoys,” and “Mama June.”<\/p>\n In an ambitious move, Thinkfactory Media recently decided to centralize its operations in Nashville, relocating both its CEO, Adam Reed, and its home office to the heart of country music. Reed states, “If you look historically at Thinkfactory and what we’ve done over the past 20-plus years, we\u2019ve really always had a heartland focus.” This move, he explained, is not a shift but rather a “doubling down.”<\/p>\n Reed’s passion for heartland content runs deep. Raised in Bakersfield, California, he often quips that he \u201ccame out of the womb wearing cowboy boots.\u201d His commitment to heartland content is driven by a belief that there is a significant audience underserved by conventional Hollywood productions. Deciding to immerse himself fully into the culture, Reed moved his family and company to Nashville, transforming how Thinkfactory connects with heartland audiences.<\/p>\n Shifting Thinkfactory’s base to Nashville is more than a strategic move; it\u2019s a cultural immersion. Reed emphasized the profound difference between producers who “fly in and fly out” and those who live among the community, absorbing its values and traditions. This approach, Reed argues, has been the real game changer.<\/p>\n While the definition of heartland content<\/strong> might be elusive, Reed insists it’s about unity beyond politics. “There are heartland-minded people on the coast; there are heartland-minded people everywhere in the country,” Reed notes. For him, heartland content embodies the spirit of unification and shared American values.<\/p>\n Thinkfactory has ventured into various genres under the heartland umbrella. Their hit show \u201cMama June: Family Crisis\u201d exemplifies this with its genuine portrayal of a family facing real challenges. Despite its comedic elements, Reed believes it reflects core heartland experiences.<\/p>\n Industry experts, including UTA\u2019s head of the heartland division, are optimistic about future trends. There is a growing demand for more faith and family<\/strong> content, particularly in the unscripted space. While scripted content like \u201cThe Chosen\u201d has found success, there remains vast potential for unscripted portrayals of heartland values.<\/p>\n ITV America CEO, David George, has his sights set on expanding heartland content across various brands. This includes Blumhouse, High Noon Entertainment, Leftfield Pictures, and Good Caper Content. George sees endless opportunities for cross-pollination of ideas between genres, including crime, food, lifestyle, and even male-skewing shows. \u201cThe sky\u2019s the limit,\u201d he asserts.<\/p>\n While unscripted content remains Thinkfactory\u2019s forte, the company is actively working on multiple scripted projects. These include music-inspired TV movies, holiday specials, and biopics featuring prominent personalities like Kane Brown, Darius Rucker, and Kimberly Schlapman.<\/p>\n Thinkfactory’s success is underpinned by strong relationships within the heartland community. A&E\u2019s head of programming applauds Reed\u2019s approach of building genuine connections with local talents and organizations. Trust and longstanding relationships have become the cornerstone of Thinkfactory’s operations in Nashville.<\/p>\n For more insights into heartland music and culture, follow our latest updates and stay connected with the vibrant world of country entertainment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" NBC’s special “Toby Keith: American Icon” captivated 4.7 million viewers, thanks to stellar performances by country stars and Thinkfactory Media’s expertise. Thinkfactory’s relocation to Nashville reflects its deep commitment to heartland content, aiming to produce authentic stories from the heartland community<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12326,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12324","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tv-series"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/movieetv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12324","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/movieetv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/movieetv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movieetv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movieetv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12324"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/movieetv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12324\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movieetv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12326"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/movieetv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movieetv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movieetv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}A night to remember in Nashville<\/h2>\n
Doubling down on heartland content<\/h2>\n
The heartland connection<\/h3>\n
The game-changing strategy<\/h3>\n
Defining heartland content<\/h2>\n
Tackling diverse genres<\/h3>\n
Encouraging more faith and family content<\/h2>\n
ITV America\u2019s broader vision<\/h3>\n
Expanding into scripted projects<\/h2>\n
Creating lasting relationships<\/h2>\n