REIGNING CHAMP BOBBY FLAY IS JOINED BY ANNE BURRELL AND JET TILA IN NEW SEASON OF FOOD NETWORK'S

BBQ BRAWL"

Season Premieres with Special 90-Minute Episode on Monday, May 9th at 9pm ET/PT

Bobby, Anne and Jet Coach-Mentor a New Batch of BBQ Masters for Coveted Title of 'Master of 'Cue'

All Episodes Available to Stream on discovery+

NEW YORK - March 31, 2022 - The brawl returns with superstar chefs Anne Burrell and Jet Tila challenging the undefeated champion, Bobby Flay, for a chance at leading Food Network's next 'Master of 'Cue' to victory in the new season of BBQ Brawl, premiering with a special 90-minute episode on Monday, May 9th at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network. Through eight episodes, Bobby, Anne, and Jet mentor and coach nine upcoming stars in the barbecue world with culinary battles that test their skills and their ability to work together as a team. With the captains guiding their teams every step of the way, a panel of judges featuring barbecue legend Rodney Scott, famed chef Brooke Williamson, and lifestyle personality Carson Kressley decide which competitor is worthy of being crowned 'Master of 'Cue' and appear across Food Network's digital platforms to become its official BBQ expert for the year.

Set at the famed Star Hill Ranch in Austin, Texas, the competitors are divided into three teams under the tutelage of Bobby, Anne, and Jet. In each episode the captains must do everything in their power to keep their team members in the game - including diving into the action themselves - guiding the hopefuls in two rounds of grilling and smoking challenges. The team that is determined by the judges to be least successful in the challenges will have one of their contenders eliminated. Bobby, Jet and Anne will give it their all to stay in contention, but in the end, only one competitor and captain will reign supreme. Viewers can also stream BBQ Brawl on discovery+ with new episodes available weekly, starting Monday, May 9th.

"This year's intense barbecue challenges, breakout BBQ hopefuls, and top-flight Food Network chefs that put their reputations on the line has BBQ Brawl promising to again strike a chord with viewers this season," said Courtney White, President, Food Network and Streaming Food Content, Discovery Inc. "With Anne Burrell and Jet Tila challenging Bobby with their competitive DNA and deep culinary experience, the excitement this season runs hotter than ever."

The new batch of contenders arrive at the ranch in the premiere and must introduce themselves to the captains by making a signature skewer that packs big flavor in a little bite in hopes of being picked by Bobby, Anne, and Jet for their team. Then, the competitors face off in the first team brawl full of high stakes and featuring a major competition-changing twist. In another episode, the BBQ hopefuls showcase their talent by creating a dinner party in two hours using only the ingredients provided to them in coolers stocked with everything you would find in the kitchens of different households. And see what happens when the competitors are challenged to communicate with BBQ lovers across social media to prove they can cook and connect with fans wherever they may be. The competitors that make it to the finale have one more chance to prove themselves worthy of the 'Master of 'Cue' title and walk away with ultimate bragging rights. The remaining competitors must go all out to impress the judges as they cook a full BBQ dinner feast in only six hours using a whole suckling pig. But it won't be easy, as the judges throw twists and turns at the competitors throughout the challenge.

For exclusive barbecue how-tos with Bobby, Jet and Anne, and to get the captains' best cookout recipes, visit FoodNetwork.com and Food Network's Facebook, Instagram and Twitter platforms. Join the conversation all season using #BBQBrawl.

BBQ Brawl is produced by Rock Shrimp Productions.

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FOOD NETWORK (www.foodnetwork.com) is a unique lifestyle network, website and magazine that connects viewers to the power and joy of food. The network strives to be viewers' best friend in food and is committed to leading by teaching, inspiring, empowering and entertaining through its talent and expertise. Food Network is distributed to nearly 100 million U.S. households and draws over 46 million unique web users monthly. Since launching in 2009, Food Network Magazine's rate base has grown 13 times and is the No. 2 best-selling monthly magazine on the newsstand, with 13.5 million readers. Food Network is owned by Discovery, Inc., a global leader in real life entertainment serving a passionate audience of superfans around the world and spanning over 220 countries and territories; the portfolio also includes direct-to-consumer streaming services such as discovery+ and Food Network Kitchen, along with premium brands Discovery Channel, HGTV, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science Channel, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, as well as the multi-platform JV with Chip and Joanna Gaines, Magnolia Network, in the U.S., Discovery Kids in Latin America, and Eurosport.

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