"TREEHOUSE MASTERS" RINGS IN THE NEW YEAR WITH NEW BUILDS BEGINNING JANUARY 6 AT 10PM ET/PT

All-New Holiday Themed TREEHOUSE MASTERS Premieres December 23

(New York, NY) Animal Planet's TREEHOUSE MASTERS returns Friday, January 6 at 10PM (ET/PT) as tree whisperer and visionary Pete Nelson leads his team of craftsmen to build even bigger and better nature headquarters and homes high in the treetops.

In a special international premiere episode, Pete journeys to the pine-forested splendor of Scandinavia to experience the culture and treehouses of the historic land. He first explores Norway's magical TreeTop Hotel before crossing the border into Sweden, home to the floating Treehotel where he tours some of the property's "treehomes" suspended by cables and accessed only by retractable ladders. What began as a naturalistic adventure into the Scandinavian wilds closes with a truly cosmic experience under the awe-inspiring glow of the Northern Lights.

Throughout the season, Pete and his crew construct masterpieces for the masses. From an owl-inspired treehouse for Omni Montessori School in Charlotte, North Carolina, to an elevated "glass box" in the trees featuring walls of reclaimed windows from the Catskills in New York, to an environmental superhero headquarters for The Preservers at the For-Mar Nature Preserve near Flint, Michigan. Then, a TREEHOUSE MASTERS first: SURPRISE TREEHOUSE MAKEOVERS! Pete makes his way to two cities with a tall order to surprise different families with complete, top to bottom renovations to their existing treehouses.

For those who can't wait for the new season, a pre-season holiday-themed special will air Friday, December 23, at 10 PM (ET/PT). Pete and his merry men trek deep into the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to build a treehouse for one of their own - Mike Reynolds, who only joined Nelson Treehouse and Supply as a builder a little over a year ago. Mike has become close friends with Pete so the team sets off to build Mike a treehouse on his Appalachian property.

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About Animal Planet

Animal Planet, a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications, is the network of hit franchise series RIVER MONSTERS, PIT BULLS & PAROLEES and TREEHOUSE MASTERS and the home of provocative and award-winning specials and documentary films presented under the banner ANIMAL PLANET PRESENTS. Animal Planet's programming also includes quarterly tent pole TV events PUPPY BOWL, the largest non-sports TV on Super Bowl Sunday, and MONSTER WEEK. Animal Planet is the premiere TV, digital and social community for animal lovers and pet owners, providing immersive, engaging, high-quality entertainment across all Animal Planet assets including: Animal Planet television network, available in more than 94 million homes in the US, that is complimented with a deep Video On Demand offering; online assets www.animalplanet.com, the ultimate online destination for all things animal; Animal Planet L!VE, the go-to digital destination for round-the-clock, unfiltered access to the animal kingdom; Animal Planet social including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.

About Discovery Communications

Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) satisfies curiosity and engages superfans with a portfolio of premium nonfiction, sports and kids programming brands. Reaching 3 billion cumulative viewers across pay-TV and free-to-air platforms in more than 220 countries and territories, Discovery's portfolio includes the global brands Discovery Channel, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Animal Planet, Science and Turbo/Velocity, as well as OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network in the U.S., Discovery Kids in Latin America, and Eurosport, the leading provider of locally relevant, premium sports content across Europe. Discovery reaches audiences across screens through digital-first programming from Discovery VR, Seeker and SourceFed Studios, as well as over-the-top and TV Everywhere offerings including Eurosport Player, Dplay, Discovery K!ds Play and Discovery GO. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.