Photo courtesy ABC

CMT is in talks to pick up Nashville for a fifth season after ABC declined to renew the drama for the fall.

According to Deadline, which first reported the news, negotiations are deeply underway with hopes of an announcement coming during Wednesday's CMT Awards.

While the ABC cancellation came as a shock to fans, studio Lionsgate Television has been confident the show would be rescued, with interest from multiple buyers, including streaming platforms.

Days after ABC's decision, Lionsgate told investors they "hope to talk about this show for years to come," even opting to air a cliffhanger season 4 finale instead of a series finale-like episode it had filmed just in case.

Hulu, which already had a deal for previously aired episodes of Nashville, is reportedly also part of discussions for a potential fifth season, perhaps with a network like CMT taking the broadcast rights and Hulu with the streaming rights.

The country music-themed serial, which attracted modest average of 6.7 million viewers and a 1.8 rating in the coveted 18-49 demographic, already has writers committed and a fifth season planned out. Most of the cast is still under contract for two more seasons.