INDIANAPOLIS (WOWO): Its one of the most popular shows on TV, and its coming to Indiana.
American Ninja Warrior announced that Indianapolis is going to be one of its filming locations for its upcoming season. Set-up and filming will happen in late April and to do it they will take over a portion of the circle downtown.
Chris Gahl, VP of Visit Indy, says they were able to sell the city on its patriotic foundation. He says that at the heart of American Ninja Warrior is a very patriotic feel–an aspect that melds well with their set-up on Monument Circle. Gahl says the announcement is breathing life into their FilmIndy initiative that’s designed to incentives film makers and TV producers to shoot more stuff in the city.
American Ninja Warrior will be in its eighth season when it starts filming. They will start set-up on April 20th with the course starting in front of the Columbia Club and ending in front of the anthem building. It will include several pools, and bleachers will be set up so people can be part of the crowd. Then they will test the course before they start filming April 27th and April 28th.
Producers with the show prefer to that it is shot at night, so the area will be very well lit downtown. Gahl says that the sidewalk will remain open the whole time so people can still walk around the monument. Gahl notes that the demographic of the show helps showcase the city to a very high quality potential visitor.
VisitIndy expects that the show will have a financial impact of about $1 million on the city when all facets of the show are considered.
