More Than 10 Million Viewers Remember Steve Irwin With Last Documentary and Tribute Specials

More Than 10 Million Viewers Remember Steve Irwin With Last Documentary and Tribute Specials

OCEAN'S DEADLIEST and CRIKEY! WHAT AN ADVENTURE Pull Strong Viewer Support

SILVER SPRING, Md., Jan. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Animal Planet and Discovery Channel honored long-time friend, colleague and conservational icon Steve Irwin on Sunday evening, January 21, 2007, with his last documentary, OCEAN'S DEADLIEST, followed by a half-hour tribute to his life, CRIKEY! WHAT AN ADVENTURE. The two-hour block drew more than 10 million viewers across both networks, with the overall night yielding high Animal Planet ratings across several key demographics -- up 140% among overall households and 300% among P25-54.

The premiere of OCEAN'S DEADLIEST on Animal Planet averaged a 1.2 HH AA% and a 0.8 P25-54 AA%. Ratings for the special were up triple-digits compared to the January 2006 Prime average among all key demos, including HH (+140%), P25-54 (+300%), and P2+ (+133%). The special averaged more than 1.5 million adults 2+, up 157% compared to the January 2006 Prime average. The premiere of CRIKEY! WHAT AN ADVENTURE on Animal Planet averaged a 1.2 HH AA% and a 0.7 P25-54 AA%. The special saw ratings gains over the January 2006 Prime average among all key demos, including HH (+140%), P25-54 (+250%), and P2+ (+133%).

"It's heartwarming that so many fans of Steve tuned in to our special night of programming in his honor," noted Maureen Smith, executive vice president and general manager of Animal Planet Media Enterprises. "His last documentary OCEAN'S DEADLIEST is a beacon to guide everyone in making conservation top of mind, and CRIKEY! WHAT AN ADVENTURE showed us what a true superhero Steve was. We're looking forward to carrying on Steve's legacy of wildlife conservation with the Irwin Family and our many other conservation partners."

Steve Irwin's last documentary, OCEAN'S DEADLIEST, took viewers on a journey of the world's deadliest creatures lurking only a few feet below the surface of eastern Australia's crystalline ocean. In the hope of studying nature's most dangerous creations, two adventurers of legendary reputation and pedigree -- Steve Irwin and Philippe Cousteau -- embark on an epic mission that requires leadership of an experienced, knowledgeable and fearless crew.

CRIKEY! WHAT AN ADVENTURE is an intimate look at the life of Steve Irwin - - husband, father, friend, icon, and conservationist -- through the eyes of those who knew him best. Terri Irwin, family and friends share personal stories about the incredible man the world came to know and love as the Croc Hunter. Through exhilarating adventure moments and never-before-seen footage, including "lost" interviews with Steve, CRIKEY! WHAT AN ADVENTURE recognizes, celebrates and honors Steve's passion and enthusiasm for spreading the importance of wildlife conservation.

Animal Planet Media Enterprises (APME), a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications Inc, connects humans and animals with rich, deep content via multiple platforms and offers animal lovers and pet owners access to a centralized online, television and mobile community for entertainment, information and enrichment. APME consists of the Animal Planet television network, available in over 89 million homes in the US; online assets http://www.animalplanet.com/, the ultimate online destination for all things animal; the 24/7 broadband channel, Animal Planet Beyond; Petfinder.com, the #1 pet-related Web property globally that facilitates pet adoption; PetsIncredible, a major producer and distributor of pet-training videos and includes web service PetVideo.com; and other media platforms including a robust Video-on-Demand (VOD) service; mobile content; and merchandising extensions.

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Source: Animal Planet

CONTACT: Brian Eley, +1-240-662-2957, Brian_Eley@discovery.com, Patricia
Kollappallil, +1-240-662-2969, Patricia_Kollappallil@discovery.com, or
Catherine Frymark, +1-240-662-2934, Catherine_Frymark@discovery.com, all of
Discovery Communications Inc

Web site: http://www.animalplanet.com/
http://www.discovery.com/

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