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January 2013 is Highest Rated Month Ever for Discovery Channel

Powered by #1 shows and breakout new hits, January 2013 was Discovery Channel's best month ever among total viewers P2+ and Persons 25-54, delivery. Additionally, it was the best January ever among HH, P2+, Persons and Men 25-54 and Persons 18-49 delivery. Discovery was up double digits across the board in key demos vs. January 2012 that included HH (+11%), P2+ (+14%), Persons 25-54 (+21%), Men 25-54 (+15%) and Women 25-54 which was up a whopping 31%.

Discovery Channel's Prime Time also ranked as the #1 cable network in January for Men 25-54 delivery, excluding sports. It was the #3 cable network among Men 18-49 delivery, excluding sports, behind only TBS and FX, and #4 for the month among Persons 25-54 delivery. Overall, Discovery ranked in the top ten cable networks, no exclusions, for Men 25-54 (#2), Men 18-49 (#3), Persons 25-54 (#4), Persons 18-49 (#5) and Men 18-34 (#7) delivery.

"Discovery Channel made history in January", said Eileen O'Neill, Group President Discovery and TLC Networks. "I'm excited our great characters and real life stories from new and returning series and specials brought us our most-watched month in the history of the network."

On Fridays in January, driven by Gold Rush and returning series BERING SEA GOLD, Discovery beat CBS, NBC and ABC to become the #2 network behind only FOX among Men 25-54 and Men 18-49 no exclusions. Gold Rush delivered 4.23 million total viewers P2+ per episode and was the #1 cable program among HH, P2+, and Persons, Men and Women 25-54/18-49/18-34 delivery, no exclusions. It was also the #1 program in all of television among Men (M25-54/M18-49/M18-34) delivery, excluding sports. Bering Sea Gold delivered 2.73 million total viewers P2+ per episode and was the #2 Friday cable program behind only Gold Rush among Persons, Men and Women 25-54/18-49 and Persons and Men 18-34 delivery, excluding sports. It was also #3 in all of television among Men 18-49 delivery, excluding sports.

Premieres of Gold Rush were the #1 cable program (includes all nights, excludes sports) in January among Persons 25-54, Men 25-54 and Men 18-49 delivery.

On Wednesdays, premieres of Moonshiners delivered 3.28 million total viewers P2+ per episode and was the #1 cable program on Wednesday nights in January 2013, among Persons and Men 25-54/18-49 delivery, excluding sports; it was also #2 among Women 25-54. Second only to MOONSHINERS, Amish Mafia delivered 3.27 million total viewers P2+ per episode and was the #2 cable program on Wednesday nights among Persons and Men 25-54/18-49 delivery, excluding sports. The premieres of Amish Mafia were also #1 among Women 25-54 delivery on cable in January.

Other January highlights included Shipwreck Men and Extreme Smuggling which were the #5 and #6 ad-supported cable programs on Monday nights among Men 25-54 delivery, excluding sports, respectively. Dual Survival was the #9 ad-supported cable program on Tuesday nights in January among Men 25-54 delivery, excluding sports, and the Curiosity season finale, GIANT SQUID: THE MONSTER IS REAL, averaged 2.07 million total viewers P2+ on January 27 and finished as the #3 ad-supported cable program on Sunday nights in January among Men 25-54 delivery, excluding sports.