Destination America Has Recipe For Ratings Success -- Fires Up The Grill For Another Season Of "BBQ PITMASTERS"

-- Season Three Finale Airs this Sunday, July 1 from 9-10 PM (E/P) on Destination America --

SILVER SPRING, Md., June 27, 2012 -- The secret's in the sauce! On the heels of unprecedented ratings success for BBQ PITMASTERS, Destination America greenlights another season of barbecue bliss. Since the network's debut on Memorial Day weekend, on what was formerly Planet Green, BBQ PITMASTERS has helped drive record-setting nights in June. BBQ PITMASTERS is Destination America's #1 original series ever among all key demos: P/W/M25-54, P/M18-49, HH, and P2+ delivery. Additionally, the 9-10 PM timeslot has fueled the success of the network, launching Destination America to rank 21st on Sunday nights among all ad-supported cable for M25-54 delivery, beating networks such as TRAV, ADSM, NGC, G4, H2, VH1, CMT, BBCA, BIO, NBC Sports, NGWD, and others.

This is the third season of the popular barbecue competition series, whose first two seasons aired on sister network TLC, and its first season airing as an original program on Destination America. The series pits America's best hard-core barbecue grillers against each other each week, and their cured creations are blind-judged by three pitmaster professionals, including series veteran Myron Mixon. Each week's winner earns a place in the winner-take-all-finale which will air this Sunday, July, 1, where the coveted prize includes $50,000, a spot in the first annual Kingsford Invitational, and the ultimate title of BBQ PITMASTERS Grand Champion is on the line. The cook-off finale of BBQ PITMASTERS airs on Sunday, July 1 from 9-10 PM (E/P), following an all-day marathon beginning at 11 AM on Destination America.

"When you discover a recipe as successful as BBQ PITMASTERS, you keep on cooking for another season!" said Marc Etkind, SVP of content strategy for Destination America. "We're excited to get on the board so early in the game as we establish ourselves as the home for Americana content, and happy to give fans more access into the niche world of the burgeoning barbecue circuit."

To learn more about BBQ PITMASTERS or to find Destination America on your cable provider, please visit us online at http://destinationamerica.com.

BBQ PITMASTERS is produced for Destination America by Original Media. For Original Media, Jay Peterson, Charlie Corwin, and John Markus are executive producers. For Destination America, Ron Simon and Fay Yu are executive producers, Sara Kozak is SVP of production, Marc Etkind is SVP of content strategy, and Henry Schleiff is president and general manager.

ABOUT DESTINATION AMERICA

Destination America is the first network to celebrate the people, places, and stories of the United States. The inclusive network targeting Adults 25-54 is available in 59.5 million homes, emblazoning television screens with the grit and tenacity, honesty and work ethic, humor and adventurousness that characterize our nation. Destination America features travel, food, adventure, home, and natural history, with original series covering such diverse subjects as American food favorites, mysteries like Jesse James' lost fortune and Area 51, American heroes and innovators, as well as iconic landmarks and wonders like Yellowstone National Park and the Everglades. Destination America is part of Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in 200 countries and territories.