Spike TV Inks New Seasons of INK MASTER, TATTOO NIGHTMARES

Related: INK MASTER, TATTOO NIGHTMARES, Spike TV, Reality TV

Furthering the network's mission to expand its audience and demographics, Spike TV has greenlit new seasons of two of the network's most broad-appealing and highest-rated series, INK MASTER, TATTOO NIGHTMARES. Season three of "Ink Master," will debut in the summer of 2013 with 13 one-hour episodes. The 26 new episodes of "Tattoo Nightmares" will run in 2013. Both series will go back into production early in 2013.

"The real stakes and compelling drama that both 'Ink Master' and 'Tattoo Nightmares' deliver resonates with our ever-expanding audience," said Sharon Levy, Spike TV's Executive Vice President, Original Series.

Season two (through 8 episodes, Oct 9-Nov 27) of "Ink Master," is averaging 1.8 million viewers and has improved the timeslot with Persons 18-49 by 105% and Persons 18-34 by 132%. "Ink Master" is hosted by music legend and tattoo aficionado Dave Navarro (Jane's Addiction) and judged by renowned tattoo artists Chris Nunez ("Miami Ink") and Oliver Peck (Elm Street Tattoo). The show is produced for Spike by Original Media ("Swamp People," "NY Ink," "Comic Book Men," "The Rachel Zoe Project,") with Charlie Corwin and Andrea Richter serving as Executive Producers.

Premiering in October 2012 (through 7 episodes, Oct 16-Nov 27), "Tattoo Nightmares" is averaging 1.5 million viewers and has improved the timeslot with Persons 18-49 by an astounding 187%. The show is produced by 495 Productions ("Jersey Shore," "Friend Zone," "Nail Files," "Repo Games," "Snooki & JWOWW") with SallyAnn Salsano and Joel Zimmer as Executive Producers. The series showcases real people with really bad tattoos who seek the help of some of the best cover-up artists in the business to fix them.

Chris Rantamaki is Vice President of Original Programming for Spike TV and oversees production of "Ink Master" and "Tattoo Nightmares."

About "Ink Master":

Tattoo artists compete in various challenges that not only test their technical skills, but also their on-the-spot creativity, where they must create and execute an original tattoo on a 'human canvas.' These 'human canvases' range from tattoo virgins to connoisseurs to those who want to cover up a prior tattoo misstep. The challenges focus on different tattooing techniques such as contrast, adaptability, balance and dimension as well as styles including New School, photorealism, American traditional and pin-up. After every challenge the contestants face a tough panel made up of Navarro, Nunez, and Peck and a roster of guest judges. Each individual artists' work is critiqued and one contestant is sent home. The masterpieces these artists create will last forever, but so will their mistakes.

About "Tattoo Nightmares":

With more than 40 million Americans having at least one tattoo somewhere on their body, you are bound to come across bad permanent ink, ranging from hilarious tattoos to ones that are just downright disturbing pieces. The stakes are high as regretful clients go under the tattoo gun a second time to see if one of the three expert artists at Tattoo Nightmares (Big Gus, Tommy Helm and Jasmine Rodriguez) can work a miracle and turn their disaster pieces into masterpieces. Through re-enactments, clients reveal the stories behind how their dreadful ink came to be.

About Spike TV:

Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.