THRILLS, GRILLS, SURF AND SAND - TRAVEL CHANNEL'S ANNUAL "WE ARE SUMMER" PROGRAMMING EVENT IS BACK, WITH ALL-NEW SERIES PREMIERES BEGINNING MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

Hilton Signs on as Presenting 'We Are Summer' Sponsor; Additional Partnerships Include AARP and the Snuggle brand

CHEVY CHASE, MD (May 1, 2015) - Travel Channel's fourth annual "We Are Summer" multi-platform programming event launches Memorial Day weekend with sizzling new series, returning fan favorites and summer-themed programming. All new exciting premieres air all summer long, with special line-ups for the Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day holidays. With series and specials that showcase amazing locales, adventurous activities, tasty treats and heart-pumping thrills, Travel Channel is your must-see destination for the season.

This year, Hilton has signed on as the presenting "We Are Summer" sponsor. The media partnership includes integrated on-air spots featuring special vignettes with Travel Channel expert and host Samantha Brown, custom programming stacks, digital travel guides and additional exclusive online content. AARP and the Snuggle brand also serve as partners for the 2015 summer event.

"'We Are Summer' is one of our most successful network events," says Shannon O'Neill, president, Travel Channel. "It has grown significantly since inception, and this year we are thrilled to partner with several great brands on what has become our signature summer celebration."

TravelChannel.com will host an array of summer-themed travel content to complement on-air programming. All-new travel guides and "Travel's Best" lists provide tips and ideas for planning summertime fun including the Best National Parks Road Trips, Off-the-Grid Destinations, Adult Summer Camps, the World's Best Boardwalks, Best Beer Gardens, Hottest Amusement Park Attractions, "Pack Hacks" and more. Join the conversation via @TravelChannel's Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest - use #LiveTravelChannel to share your summer experiences and what travel means to you.

New Original Series/Specials (in order of premiere):

"The Grill of Victory"
Premieres Saturday, May 23 at 2:00 p.m. & 3:00 p.m. ET/PT (Back-to-Back Episodes)
New episodes continue thereafter as part of the July 4th and Labor Day weekend line-ups
"The Grill of Victory" brings a competitive twist to the growing subculture of passionate hobbyists building the most insane, tricked-out grills around. In each episode, three teams attend each other's "Rig Digs" and score them based on Rig, Dig and Food. In the end, the builder with the highest score takes home a cash prize and bragging rights! Set in a different iconic American city, each episode is packed with over-the-top grills, larger-than-life characters and competitive BBQ action. Eight hour-long episodes; produced by Jane Street Entertainment. Executive producers for Jane Street are Donna MacLetchie and Linda Lea. For Travel Channel, the executive producer is Daniel A. Schwartz.

"101 Amazing Thrills"
Premieres Sunday, May 24 beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET/PT (Five Episodes to Air Consecutively)
Keep your hands and feet inside this ride until it comes to a complete stop - Travel Channel is taking you on the ultimate wild ride in "101 Amazing Thrills!" Whether it's a 149-mph roller coaster in Abu Dhabi, a moving glacier rock-climbing wall in Alaska, a military-style paintball battle in England or 'boarding on the tallest sand dunes in the United States, there is no short supply of thrills here. From roller coasters and water slides, to amazing zip lines, whitewater rafting and everything in between, we're counting down 101 of the best thrills and attractions in the world. Five hour-long episodes; produced by Sharp Entertainment. Executive producers for Sharp are Matt Sharp and Dan Adler. For Travel Channel, the executive producer is Daniel A. Schwartz.

"Food Paradise International"
Premieres Wednesday, July 1 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT
We've combed the world for the tastiest dishes in the most legendary and undiscovered hot spots, and our taste buds are bursting! We're talking steak in Italy, lobster in Barcelona, shrimp in Sydney and the juiciest burgers from all over the world. We deliver pizza pies from Tokyo to South Africa, eat like an Argentine cowboy and chow down on crispy Southern BBQ in Paris. From the casual to the truly bizarre, you'll want a taste of all the surprises on "Food Paradise International." Bon Appétit! Six hour-long episodes; produced by Loud TV. Executive producers for Loud are Nick Rigg, Brent Montgomery and Lauren Deen. For Travel Channel, the executive producer is Tina Nguyen.

"Epic Attractions"
Premieres Wednesday, July 1 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT (One-Hour Special Premiere)
The biggest, fastest, wildest, most beautiful and most insane theme parks and attractions are run like well-oiled machines. These parks are high-tech and high dollar, exciting, exotic and extreme. Now, amusement expert Chris Perry, who managed a top amusement park in Dubai for over 15 years, is revealing all of the industry's secrets for success. Pulling back the curtain, Perry provides an exclusive look at how the mechanics of amusement parks and rides really work - at Ohio's Cedar Point, Dubai's Aquaventure Waterpark, Germany's Europa Park and Tampa, Florida's Busch Gardens, to name a few. Each episode of "Epic Attractions" offers not only a backstage pass to some of the world's greatest attractions, but also an inside scoop on the science and engineering that make up one of the biggest industries on the planet. If you thought amusement parks couldn't get any more fun, Chris Perry has more thrills in store! One hour-long special episode, plus six half-hour episodes; produced by Lusid Media. Executive producers for Lusid are Zak Weisfeld and Libby Richman. For Travel Channel, the executive producer is Brian Leonard.

"America's Secret Swimming Holes"
One Hour Special Premieres Sunday, August 2 at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT
"America's Secret Swimming Holes" takes you to the country's most secluded, extreme, sexiest and off-the-beaten-path natural places to cool off. From vibrant aquamarine waterfalls that plunge nearly 100 feet into a gem-like pool on an Indian reservation accessible only by helicopter or a 10-mile hike, to a former sugar plantation where travelers float through miles of ancient aqueducts for a chance to dive into one of Kauai's most isolated swimming holes - these spots are hidden and hard to reach, but well worth the adventure. This one-hour exploration features eight of the most stunning swimming holes you've never heard of, right here in our own backyard. One hour-long special; produced by LMNO. Executive producer for LMNO is Eric Schotz. For Travel Channel, the executive producer is Patrick McManamee.

"America. The Beautiful."
Premieres Sunday, August 9 at 7:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. ET/PT (Back-to-Back Episodes)
America's vast and iconic landscapes host climates and terrains that are as diverse as its people. In "America. The Beautiful.," Travel Channel takes viewers well beyond ordinary sightseeing, providing immersive experiences within the country's most awe-inspiring places - including America's beloved national parks and magnificent natural wonders. Explore the rich history of Devils Tower in Wyoming as world-famous mountaineers fight their way up the monument's sheer walls, and discover why the site is considered sacred to the Lakota tribe. Experience commanding views from 3,000 feet above California's storied Yosemite Valley, as hang gliders launch themselves from Glacier Point. Ride the bioluminescent Caribbean waves of St. Croix's Salt River Bay, as marine biologists examine the rare ecosystem that gives birth to this natural phenomenon. Viewers will see and experience America like never before through first-person exploration, adrenaline-pumping adventures and once-in-a-lifetime events. Eight half-hour episodes; produced by MacGillivray. Executive producers for MacGillivray are Shaun MacGillivray and Grady Candler. For Travel Channel, the executive producer is Patrick McManamee.

Returning Series (in order of premiere):

"Trip Flip" - Season 4
Premieres Tuesday, June 2 at 8:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m. ET/PT (Back-to-Back Episodes)
Travel Channel's inspiring and heart-pumping original series "Trip Flip" is back for an all-new season and the adventures are bigger and more engaging than ever. In each episode, professional fun-seeker Bert Kreischer encourages two regular people to spontaneously agree to a once-in-a-lifetime trip where everything is a surprise. Then, Kreischer delivers an action-packed itinerary filled with the kind of hair-raising thrills, one-of-a-kind accommodations, mouthwatering food and unexpected twists that only Travel Channel can deliver. And forget about guidebooks and tour buses, because every "Trip Flip" veers off the beaten path in surprising ways large and small, giving each couple the unforgettable experiences that inspire us all to travel in the first place. Featured locations and events in Season Four include: Alabama/Talladega; Fiji; Japan; Louisiana/Mardi Gras; Michigan; North Carolina; Ohio/Great Lakes; South Africa; Tanzania/Zanzibar; Texas; Utah/Lake Powell; Vietnam and Wisconsin. Thirteen half-hour episodes; produced by High Noon Entertainment. Executive producer for High Noon is Scott Feeley. For Travel Channel, the executive producer is Dale Roy Robinson.

"Xtreme Waterparks" - Season 4
Premieres Sunday, June 21 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT (One-Hour Special Premiere)
Hold on to your trunks, and get ready for another season of "Xtreme Waterparks" with water slides like no other on the planet. From the newest, tallest body slide in North America, to a South Pacific island slide that can't be ridden without the village chief's blessing, we're going where no water park show has gone before. See how the Kiwis in New Zealand rock Mother Nature's best slide and, in Brazil, take a ride down a 130-foot tall slide that drops you into a lake filled with piranha! Season Four kicks off in New Zealand with an exclusive one-hour special following the building of the world's longest waterslide at 2,000 feet. One hour-long special, plus four half-hour episodes; produced by High Noon Entertainment. Executive producer for High Noon is Sherry Sellers. For Travel Channel, the executive producer is Patrick McManamee.

"BBQ Crawl" - Season 3
Premieres Wednesday, July 1 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT
"BBQ Crawl" is a mouth-watering road trip that follows world champion BBQ competitor Danielle Dimovski (a.k.a. Diva Q) as she samples delectable BBQ and competes her way across America. Visiting various BBQ joints and BBQ competitions - in Arizona, the Carolinas, New York and California, to name a few - Dimovski is in search of the best hometown 'cue. Dimovski ventures through a hickory haze of smoky meat perfection, rubs shoulders with pit masters and meets the locals. In between competitions, it's all about exploring. With a map, a truck and the open road, there are no rules except to pull over - often - and leave no rib unturned. Thirteen half-hour episodes; produced by Beyond Distribution. Executive producers for Beyond are Kit Redmond, Toni Miceli and Jane Van Deuren. For Travel Channel, the executive producer is Tina Nguyen.

"Bizarre Foods: Delicious Destinations" - Season 2
Premieres Monday, July 6 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT
How many people really know how iconic foods were invented, where they came from, how they are made, the right way to eat them and who makes the best ones? Renowned chef and culinary explorer Andrew Zimmern digs into the not-to-be-missed legendary foods that define a location in the series, "Bizarre Foods: Delicious Destinations." Season Two featured destinations include: Amsterdam; Atlanta; Dublin; Jamaica; Los Angeles; Mexico City; San Francisco; Poland and more. Thirteen half-hour episodes; produced by Tremendous! Entertainment. Executive producers for Tremendous! are Colleen Needles Steward, Shannon Keenan Demers and Kristin Graham. For Travel Channel, the executive producer is David E. Gerber.

"Bikinis & Boardwalks" - Season 3
Premieres Sunday, July 26 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT
Take a trip to the world's ultimate summer hotspots. "Bikinis & Boardwalks" has your ticket to indulge in the sinfully delicious foods, adrenaline-pumping thrill rides and unexpected attractions of the world's most gorgeous beaches and boardwalks. From Chicago and Greece to Cuba and Florida, we're taking viewers behind the scenes to the most sizzling destinations. Six half-hour episodes, plus two hour-long special episodes; produced by Indigo Films. Co-executive producer for Indigo is Steve VanDis. For Travel Channel, the executive producer is Patrick McManamee.

"Big Time RV" - Season 2
Premieres Wednesday, August 12 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT
"Big Time RV" gives viewers an all-access pass inside America's largest, and most prestigious, RV dealership located in Tampa, Fla. While touring and testing every make and model of RV available, the expert sales force and first-rate customization center work together to satisfy the demands of RV lovers looking to buy or rent the biggest, most over-the-top RVs in the business. Thirteen half-hour episodes; produced by Half Yard Productions. Executive producers for Half Yard are Sean Gallagher, Abby Greensfelder, Greg Smith and Tim Dilworth. For Travel Channel, the executive producer is Patrick McManamee.

In addition, new episodes of the following previously announced series will air throughout the summer months: "Big Crazy Family Adventure," "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern," "Man Finds Food," "Metropolis" and "Time Traveling with Brian Unger."

Travel Channel is a multiplatform travel lifestyle brand with the core mission of providing inspiring and compelling programming that takes viewers beyond their everyday destinations, making the unfamiliar familiar, whether it's around the world or around the block. A dual feed network that is also available in HD, Travel Channel is the world's leading travel media brand, and is available in over 94 million U.S. cable homes. Owned and operated by Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI), Travel Channel has offices in Chevy Chase, Md., and New York, N.Y. Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI) also owns and operates HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, Cooking Channel and Great American Country.