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G4 PRESENTS FOUR-HOUR "NINJA FEST 2" PROGRAMMING EVENT SUNDAY MAY 18 FROM 8:00 PM – 12:00 AM ET/PT
Tue. May. 13, 2008
G4 PRESENTS FOUR-HOUR “NINJA FEST 2” PROGRAMMING EVENT SUNDAY MAY 18 FROM 8:00 PM – 12:00 AM ET/PT
Two Original Specials and Five New “Ninja Warrior” Episodes Highlight One G4 Viewer’s History-Making Performance at Japan’s Mt. Midoriyama
LOS ANGELES – May 13, 2008 — G4 presents an unprecedented four-hour block of all things Ninja with the premiere of “Ninja Fest 2” on Sunday, May 18th. The one-night-only programming event kicks off with an exclusive one-hour special, “American Ninja Warrior,” chronicling the arduous journey of three amazing American competitors as they compete for a chance to participate in the ultimate competition in Japan. Following the special, G4 presents five brand-new episodes of the hit competition series “Ninja Warrior,” bringing viewers face-to-face with the superhuman Sasuke course that is Mt. Midoriyama. The five episodes capture all the pageantry and raw athleticism of Japan’s most popular televised physical competition, with one American ninja surprising the world by going further than any other U.S. competitor in the past. Rounding out the evening is a wrap-up special that highlights all the heart-stopping action of the competition and features one-on-one interviews with the men behind the muscle. You won’t want to miss a pulse-pounding minute as G4 brings viewers the biggest and best Ninja programming event ever when “Ninja Fest 2” premieres Sunday, May 18th from 8 pm- 12 am ET/PT, only on G4.
Since premiering on G4 in the fall of 2006, “Ninja Warrior” has become a fan favorite with its own crazed cult following and is currently the highest rated show on the network among men 18-34. Each “Ninja Warrior” tournament features extraordinary amateurs competing alongside world-class athletes from around the globe. Only two entrants in “Ninja Warrior” history have ever completed the grueling four-stage course, and only a handful of Americans (including Olympic athletes Morgan Hamm and Paul Terek) have ever made it to Stage Three during the twenty tournaments held thus far.
“Ninja Warrior has simply become a phenomenon here in the U.S.,” said Neal Tiles, president, G4. “We knew we had something special when we discovered this amazing presentation of strength, skill and stamina, and our young male viewers have made the show a hit for us. We plan to bring fans of the show even more of this amazing competition in the months ahead.”
Earlier this year a call went out to American athletes aspiring to attend the next competition in Japan and videos from all over the country were submitted to the network and posted online. Out of hundreds of submissions, G4tv.com online voters selected six athletes to participate in G4’s exclusive “American Ninja Challenge.” The finalists attended a grueling “boot camp” at the U.S. Marine Base, Camp Pendleton, CA to secure a spot in Sasuke 20, the “Ninja Warrior” finals in Japan. The top two performers at Camp Pendleton, along with last year’s “American Ninja Challenge” participant Brett Sims, then traveled abroad where they ran the legendary “Ninja Warrior” course at Japan’s Mt. Midoriyama. “Ninja Fest 2” chronicles their amazing journey and the competition in Japan, during which only one extraordinary American made it to Stage Three of the monumentally arduous course.
What can viewers expect on the night of May 18? Only the most awe-inspiring competition on television, that’s all. There will be no dancing, no top models or idolizing of wanna-be singers. Instead, “Ninja Fest 2” is a fierce physical competition like no other on the planet, requiring the strength, skill and stamina that only a true Ninja can muster and command. Man is pitted against mountain in Japan on the most challenging course ever laid out, and most will never survive to the halfway point. The “American Ninja Warriors” will face competitors who have trained for years for a single moment of glory. For viewers who like their physical competition tough, grueling and completely unforgiving, there is only one place to be all evening Sunday, May 18 for every adrenaline-saturated moment of action, “Ninja Fest 2,” only on G4.
For more information on “Ninja Fest 2,” please visit us online at http://www.g4tv.com/ninjawarrior/index.html
About Comcast Entertainment Group
Based in Los Angeles, recently formed Comcast Entertainment Group operates E! Entertainment Television, the 24-hour network with programming dedicated to the world of entertainment, and E! Online; The Style Network, the destination for women 18-49 with a passion for the best in relatable and inspiring lifestyle programming; and G4 offering the last word on gaming, technology, animation, interactivity, and "Internet culture" for the male 18-34 demo. E! is currently available to more than 90 million cable and direct broadcast satellite subscribers in the United States. In 2006, E! launched the E! Everywhere initiative underscoring the company's dedication to making E! content available on all new media platforms any time and anywhere -- from online to broadband at The Vine @E!Online to wireless to satellite radio to VOD. The Style Network currently counts 57 million cable and satellite subscribers and G4, the #1 podcasted cable network in America, is available in 63 million cable and satellite homes nationwide.