"GOLD RUSH: ALASKA" FINALE STRIKES A SERIES HIGH AS THE #1 PROGRAM IN ALL OF TELEVISION ON FRIDAY NIGHT

On Friday, February 18, 2011, the season finale of Discovery Channel's GOLD RUSH: ALASKA, Never Say Die, earned a 3.13 HH / 2.23 P25-54 AA%, delivering a whopping 4.55 million viewers (P2+). A series high, the 10PM premiere beat out ALL broadcast and sports (including the NBA All-star events) programs to become the #1 primetime program in all of television, in key male demos (M25-54, M18-49 ratings and delivery).

As the lead-in to Discovery's new hit series, the 9PM premiere of FLYING WILD ALASKA, Greenhorn Ben, also had a strong evening, bringing in 2.14 million viewers (P2+), earning a 1.53 HH / 0.91 P25-54 AA%.

Driven by tune in for FLYING WILD ALASKA and GOLD RUSH: ALASKA, Discovery Channel was the #1 cable network in P/M25-54 and P/M18-49 delivery (#2 among W25-54 delivery). The premiere telecast of GOLD RUSH: ALASKA had TRIPLE-DIGIT gains in all key demos, compared to its time slot a year ago (February 2010 and 1Q10, Fri, 10PM).

For those who want a little more gold fever this season, a special GOLD RUSH: ALASKA, Full Disclosure, will air on Friday, February 25 at 10PM ET/PT. This one-hour special will feature never-before-seen footage and candid on-camera interviews with the miners who reflect on the season, reveal behind-the-scenes stories of some of the most memorable moments, discuss lessons learned during their time in Alaska and look ahead to their future in gold mining.

Source: NHI. Live+SD AA(000).