USA NETWORK UNLOCKS THE NICO FILES INVITING "NECESSARY ROUGHNESS" FANS INTO NICO'S SHADOWY WORLD

Presented by Lincoln, this Webisode Series Expands the NECESSARY ROUGHNESS Broadcast Storyline to Reveal More about the Show's Man of Mystery

NEW YORK - June 28, 2012 - Today, USA Network, the top entertainment brand and pioneer in Social TV, launches The Nico Files, a seven-week webisode franchise tied to the hit original series NECESSARY ROUGHNESS. Fans will be able to go beyond the on-air story to peer into the role of Nico Careles (Scott Cohen), the enigmatic Hawks' employee with a job description that seems as vague as his background. Each week they'll interact with customized videos, created by the show's writing team and overseen by executive producers Liz Krueger, Jeff Lieber and Craig Shapiro. Viewers will open a window into the story behind the hard decisions that Nico makes and no one else on the team can. Each night after the east coast airing of the episode, fans can enter Nico's murky world at thenicofiles.usanetwork.com, starting on Wednesday, June 27, right after that night's episode at 10/9c.

"We chose to focus on this secretive Hawks' employee as it gives us a way to go beyond the hour-long broadcast creating the back-story of a character who seems to reside on the periphery, but has a big impact on the overall story," said Alexandra Shapiro, executive vice president, marketing & digital, USA. "We partnered with Lincoln both on-air and online to seamlessly integrate the new MKS sedan, which Nico uses as his base of operations."

The Nico Files will run for the seven weeks during which Nico will interact with other fan favorites including Coach Parnell (Gregory Alan Williams), Matt Donnally (Marc Blucas), and New York Hawk's bad boy wide receiver TK (Mehcad Brooks). As viewers watch Nico in action, they'll learn more about who he is, and some of his tricks of the trade. During the experience, NECESSARY ROUGHNESS viewers can access "Gut Checks," which challenges them to assess their ability to read a difficult situation as it unfolds. After the user answers one of his questions, Nico gives immediate feedback, revealing whether or not that response was in sync with his thinking.

"Lincoln is pleased to partner with USA Network on The Nico Files," said Jim Peters, Lincoln manager of Brand Content and Alliances. "USA's digital initiatives give us the opportunity to showcase the newly refined Lincoln MKS sedan in a compelling way that compliments the NECESSARY ROUGHNESS on-air integration."

USA Network created The Nico Files in conjunction with Sony Pictures Television and BPG. In addition to playing the starring role, Cohen also directed the fifth webisode.

Golden Globe nominee Callie Thorne returns in her acclaimed role as Dr. Dani Santino, a Long Island psychotherapist and single mother who's plucked out of relative obscurity to become the sports-psychologist for the New York Hawks. This season NECESSARY ROUGHNESS will tackle football off the field as well as on. Fans will join the fictional New York Hawks at the start of a new season... the OFF season... and get a peek at the "backstage" drama that comes with training camp, the draft and the scouting combined.

The series stars Callie Thorne ("Rescue Me," "Californication"), Marc Blucas ("Knight and Day," "Buffy, The Vampire Slayer"), Mehcad Brooks ("True Blood," "Desperate Housewives"), Scott Cohen ("Law & Order: Trial By Jury," "Gilmore Girls"), Hannah Marks ("weeds") and Patrick Johnson ("Mean Girls 2". This season NECESSARY ROUGHNESS introduces the mysterious owner of the Hawks Marshall Pittman played by guest star Evan Handler. Other guest stars this season will include Rob Estes, Gaius Charles, Paul Blackthorne, and NBC Sports' Peter King. Amanda Detmer, Concetta Tomei and pro football star Terrell Owens will all return to reprise their roles from the first season.

Created and executive produced by Liz Kruger and Craig Shapiro ("Miami Medical," "The Challenge"), Jeffrey Lieber ("Lost," "Miami Medical") and Kevin Dowling ("Sons of Tucson") also serve as executive producers. Inspired by a true story, NECESSARY ROUGHNESS is a Sony Pictures Television and Universal Cable Productions co-production. NECESSARY ROUGHNESS shoots in Atlanta, GA.

The #1 network in all of basic cable, USA Network is seen in 115 million U.S. homes. USA is a leader in scripted programming with a powerful stable of originals including POLITICAL ANIMALS, SUITS, NECESSARY ROUGHNESS, WHITE COLLAR, ROYAL PAINS, BURN NOTICE, PSYCH, COVERT AFFAIRS, COMMON LAW and FAIRLY LEGAL. The network offers 52 weeks of spectacular live television with WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW and is home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, a broad portfolio of acquired series and entertainment events. A trailblazer in digital innovation and storytelling, USA is defining, driving and setting the industry standard for Social TV. USA is a program service of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal. The award-winning website is located at www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.