FILMMAKER AND EL REY NETWORK FOUNDER ROBERT RODRIGUEZ SET TO DIRECT THE ACTION-PACKED SEASON ONE FINALE OF ORIGINAL, SPY THRILLER "MATADOR"

Upcoming Guest & Recurring Stars include Renowned Actor James Callis, Breaking Bad's Christopher Cousins, Boardwalk Empire's Margot Bingham and Professional Skateboarder & X Games Gold Medalist Paul Rodriguez; Network to Air Catch-up Marathons in August and September

"Matador" airs Tuesday nights at 9pm ET/PT on El Rey Network

Austin, TX, August 8, 2014 -- El Rey Network announced today that filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, whose highly-anticipated feature, Sin City 2: A Dame to Kill For, hits theatres later this month, will return to the Los Angeles set of the spy thriller, Matador, to direct the season finale (airing October 7th at 9pm ET/PT). Rodriguez, network chairman, founder and executive producer of the original series, directed the series premiere touted by People as "worth watching" and called "ludicrously entertaining" by New York Magazine. The soccer-infused drama from award-winning writer/producer Roberto Orci (Mission Impossible 3, Star Trek and The Amazing Spider-Man 2) was recently renewed for a second season.

Currently airing Tuesday nights at 9pm ET/PT, an all-new installment debuts August 12th featuring Breaking Bad's Christopher Cousins and upcoming episodes will feature Margot Bingham (Boardwalk Empire) and James Callis (Battlestar Galactica, Bridget Jones' Diary); as well as X-Games gold medalist and skateboarder, Paul Rodriguez (son of one of television's favorite comedians) in a cameo role.

The irreverent, adrenaline-filled 13-episode series chronicles the unlikely rise of Tony "Matador" Bravo (Gabriel Luna), a professional soccer player for the LA Riot who comes to be known as much for his antics off the field as his moves on it. But what his fans and family don't realize is that it's all a cover - in truth, he is a skilled covert operative executing missions for the CIA. Agent Bravo, nicknamed "Matador" after he takes out a top player known as "The Bull" during tryouts for the team, finds himself suddenly thrust into a clandestine world. But, in balancing his dueling roles, he will be forced to confront the question of his true identity... and it is this mission which may prove to be his most dangerous.

Catch-up marathons of Matador will air August, 16th at 3 pm (episodes 1-5); September 6th at 4:30 pm (episodes 1-8); September 7th at 10 am (episodes 1-8) and October 5th at 1 pm (episodes 1-12).

Episode descriptions pasted below:

EPISODE 105 - "Enter the Worm" featuring Christopher Cousins

Air date: Tuesday, August 12th at 9pm ET/PT

Guest Star: Christopher Cousins as Deputy Director Llewyn Wayne Smith, a seasoned higher up within the CIA who is in charge of the department responsible for recruiting Tony Bravo

Logline: Whisked away on Galan's private jet, Tony, Holester, and Caesar touchdown in Nicaragua, a world run by a drug cartel leader known as "The Worm," where the stakes are high and the death rate is higher. Aided by an old DEA friend, Tony finds himself in a brutal futsal game where the prize is more than just walking away with your life.

EPISODE 106- "Misanthropology"

Air Date: Tuesday, August 19th at 9pm ET/PT

Logline: Tony's focus is shifted from soccer back to the mission when Galan entrusts him to deliver a package. But where Tony goes, Reyna follows. Elsewhere, the link between the auction and Nicaragua becomes clear when the CIA rescues an anthropology professor with insight into pre-Olmec civilizations.

EPISODE 107 - "Mano A Mano" featuring Margot Bingham

Air Date: Tuesday, August 26th at 9pm ET/PT

Guest Star: Margot Bingham as Abigail "Billie" Fisher, a logistics analyst who works for the CIA

Logline: Guess who's coming to Cristina's quinceañera? Andrés Galan, meet the Sandovals. The same can't be said for Tony, who is forced to bail and put the mission over his family when a member of the team gets taken by Samuel. Not even a Riot tie can soften the fallout from this joyous occasion.

EPISODE 108 - "Everything Old is New Again" featuring James Callis

Air Date: Tuesday, September 2nd at 9pm ET/PT

Guest Star: James Callis as Lucien Sayer, a mysterious figure who commands a fraternity of the world's most elite businessmen, politicians and influencers

Logline: The data seized from the mysterious medi-spa sends Tony and Annie on a manhunt to find the parties responsible for a devastating turn of events. While Galan becomes privy to the larger plan, Samuel dives deeper into Tony's backstory, which leads him to the "wurst" kind of informant

EPISODE 109 - "Wells Fargo Presents: The Anguish of Rosarito" featuring Paul Rodriguez

Air Date: Tuesday, September 9th at 9pm ET/PT

Guest Star: Paul Rodriguez

Logline: Is there anything worse than horrible in-flight service? Just ask the passengers who landed in San Francisco. Samuel's uncovering of Tony's past leaves Matador and Galan at odds. Meanwhile, the CIA learns of Dr. Lucien Sayer's secret to extending life.

The international cast of "Matador" includes Gabriel Luna (NCIS: Los Angeles, Prison Break) in the title role of Tony "Matador" Bravo; Emmy-nominated Alfred Molina (The Da Vinci Code, Spider Man 2) as Andrés Galan, the billionaire owner of the LA Riot franchise and a member of an elite group of powerful global players; Nicky Whelan (Left Behind, Chosen, The Wedding Ringer) as Annie Mason, Tony's analytical and beautiful control agent; Neil Hopkins (Bones, True Blood) as Noah Peacott, Annie's brilliant but awkward partner; and Tanc Sade (The Gilmore Girls, 90210) as Alec Holester, an English striker for the LA Riot who is past his prime, but still very skilled.

"Matador" is created by Roberto Orci, Dan Dworkin, Jay Beattie and Andrew Orci (also consulting producer). Executive producers are Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Dworkin & Beattie (also showrunners). Also joining as executive producers are Heather Kadin of K/O Paper Products; El Rey Network co-founder Robert Rodriguez; and FactoryMade Ventures and El Rey Network co-founders John Fogelman and Cristina Patwa.

Through their exclusive output deal, Entertainment One Television (eOne) exclusively represents worldwide distribution rights (with the exception of U.S. broadcast network rights) for El Rey Network's "Matador" and other original scripted series created for the U.S based cable network, to be announced.

El Rey Network social media: Facebook: Facebook.com/MatadorElRey Twitter: Twitter.com/MatadorElRey Instagram: Instagram.com/MatadorElRey YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/ElReyNetwork Google+: https://plus.google.com/+ElReyNetwork

About El Rey Network

El Rey Network is a new 24-hour English language network founded by maverick filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. Curated by Rodriguez and his artistic collective, the network unites the most culturally diverse generation in history through fearless, badass and original content that awakens the renegade in everyone. The network's action-packed content is anchored by original signature dramas, feature films, grindhouse genre, cult classic action, and horror/sci-fi. El Rey Network LLC (www.elreynetwork.com) is jointly owned by Robert Rodriguez and FactoryMade Ventures with a minority stake held by Univision Networks & Studios, Inc.