SPIKE TV AND ACE HARDWARE ANNOUNCE MAJOR PARTNERSHIP FOR THE NETWORK'S INNOVATIVE NEW SERIES, "FRAMEWORK"

New York, NY, December 18, 2014 - Ace Hardware, the largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative in the world, will have a prominent role in the upcoming Spike TV new original franchise, "Framework," the first-ever furniture design competition series.

Hosted by renowned hip-hop artist, actor, and author, Common, and premiering Tuesday, January 6 at 10:00 PM, ET/PT, "Framework" will showcase the nation's best emerging furniture designers as they compete for a $100,000 cash prize and the opportunity to launch their furniture nationally. The winner will also receive $20,000 in gift cards from Ace Hardware.

In addition, a key component of the series will be the Ace Supply Station, a large hub located in the "Framework" workshop that will provide contestants with the tools and products they need to complete the furniture design challenges. From power tools to painting supplies, the Ace Supply Station will be a helpful resource as the contestants craft their custom furniture pieces.

"This exciting partnership gives us an opportunity to showcase that each neighborhood Ace store has a wide assortment of products and the best brands, such as Craftsman and Clark+Kensington paint+primer in one, which help homeowners tackle their home maintenance projects," said Jeff Gooding, Senior Director of Consumer Marketing, Ace Hardware Corporation. "Whether you are building a piece of custom furniture or completing a project at home, the helpful folks at Ace can provide the right products and neighborly advice to help you get the job done right."

Over the course of ten weeks, 13 innovative and inspiring builders will put their artistry and skill to the test in a series of challenges. The competitors will be pushed to the brink of their physical and creative limits with challenges that ask them to reconsider everything they know about designing and building furniture. The builders will use unconventional materials, rethink classic furniture pieces, and incorporate a variety of techniques and disciplines to demonstrate their mastery of furniture creation.

In each episode, a contestant will be eliminated by a panel of judges led by host Common. Throughout his career as an artist, Common has been on the cutting edge of trends and brings his keen eye for style and understanding of consumer desire to the competition. He will be joined by two of the most influential names in the furniture world today; Nolen Niu and Brandon Gore.

"Framework" is a ten one-hour episode series created by Dwight D. Smith and Michael Agbabian of Mission Control Media ("Hollywood Game Night," "Face Off") who serve as Executive Producers. Andrea Richter ("Ink Master") and Common also serve as Executive Producers.

Sharon Levy is Executive Vice President, Original Series, Spike TV and Chris Rantamaki is Spike TV's Senior Vice President, Original Series. Kevin Bartel, Vice President, Original Series, Spike TV serves as the Executive in Charge of Production.

About Ace Hardware

For 90 years, Ace Hardware has been known as the place with the helpful hardware folks in thousands of neighborhoods across America, providing customers with a more personal kind of helpful. In 2014, Ace ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Home Improvement Retail Stores, Eight Years in a Row," according to J.D. Power. With more than 4,900 hardware stores locally owned and operated across the globe, Ace is the largest hardware cooperative in the world. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., Ace and its subsidiaries currently operate 14 distribution centers in the U.S. and also have distribution capabilities in Shanghai, China; Panama City, Panama; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Its retailers' stores are located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and approximately 60 countries. For more information on Ace, visit www.acehardware.com.

About Spike TV

Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV's Internet address is www.spike.com.