NAT GEO MUNDO ANNOUNCES NEW BIOGRAPHY SERIES EXAMINING THE LIVES OF LATIN AMERICAN ICONS AS PART OF EXCITING 2018-2019 UPFRONT PRESENTATION

Other Upfront Highlights Include New and Returning Series, Stunning Wildlife Specials and Original Programming to Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month

(WASHINGTON, D.C. / NEW YORK - APRIL 18, 2018) Headed into its seventh year, Nat Geo Mundo has unveiled an exciting slate of programming, including new and returning series, stunning wildlife specials and an expanded lineup of Spanish-language originals to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, as announced during National Geographic's "Further Front" presentation on April 18, 2018, in New York City.

As part of a co-production deal with National Geographic in Latin America, Nat Geo Mundo has greenlit a BIOS, a new series from Underground Productions. The eight-part series follows the lives and works of icons in Latin American popular culture and seeks to shed light on the social impact these legends had on entire regions. Argentine musician Charly Garcia has been announced as one of the artists for this new series.

Paying further homage to National Hispanic Heritage Month, the network will air Spanish-language original specials on Sunday nights from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, 2018. The lineup includes Giant Carnivorous Bats, a special on a rare breed of bats found in Mexico, and Wild Mexico, a three-part natural history series about the country's diverse landscapes. Also returning for a second year are National Geographic Explorers Fabio Amador and Andres Ruzo, who once again team up with top archaeologists to explore ancestral sites in Mexico in Secrets of the Underworld.

Throughout the year, Nat Geo Mundo will broadcast some of National Geographic's highest-profile series, including the Emmy-, Golden Globe- and Screen Actors Guild nominated series Genius. The newest installment of the hit series centers around the 20th century's most prolific painter, Pablo Picasso. Antonio Banderas - who, like Picasso, hails from Malaga, Spain - steps into the titular role. Over 10 episodes, the series explores Picasso's turbulent life, from child prodigy to world renown. Never satisfied imitating the masters, he set out to create his own style and in doing so changed art forever. Genius: Picasso premieres Sunday, April 28, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Nat Geo Mundo.

Further building on the legacy of National Geographic's iconic brand, Nat Geo Mundo features some of the biggest, baddest and most ferocious natural history specials. Sharkfest returns with incredible stories from the world's leading scientists, along with wall-to-wall sharks. BIG CAT WEEK is also back with an all-new roaring lineup of heartwarming, surprising and inspiring stories of big cats around the world.

For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com or our press site www.natgeotvpressroom.com, or follow us on Twitter using @NGC_PR.

The 2018-2019 Upfront Slate includes:

(Please note: All titles are working titles and subject to change.)

Hispanic Heritage Month Programming:

Sept. 15-Oct. 15, 2018

Giant Carnivorous Bats

1x60

Deep in the Mexican jungle, award-winning National Geographic photographer Anand Varma is on a mission to find and photograph the continent's rarest creatures: carnivorous bats. For centuries their lives have remained a mystery, but now Varma and a world-renowned biologist are teaming up to capture never-before-seen images, and to uncover the bats' secrets. Varma's career is driven by a passion for science and the natural world. Lucky for us, mysterious animals are his specialty.

Wild Mexico

3x60

Each of Wild Mexico's distinct colorful landscapes is characterized by the animals who live there. This three-part special reveals drama and surprising behaviors as charismatic travelers roam the oceans, forests and deserts of Mexico's diverse habitats.

Mysteries of the Underworld: Quintana Roo

1x60

National Geographic Explorer Andres Ruzo embarks on a mesmerizing adventure to unlock the deep-seated mysteries of the Mayan Riviera in Mexico. Together with anthropologist and archaeologist Fabio Amador, and with the help of cutting-edge technology, he will try to unveil these mysteries.

Untitled Biography Series

8x60

This eight-part series follows the lives and works of icons in Latin American popular culture and seeks to shed light on the social impact these legends had on entire regions, starting with a two-part special airing during Hispanic Heritage Month.

Mundo US Exclusives:

Alerta Aeropuerto

Returning Series - new episodes airing in July and November 2018

This popular character-driven series returns with new episodes filmed at airports in Spain and Brazil. See how customs, immigration and law enforcement agencies crack down on criminals attempting to smuggle illegal goods out of the country - making sure their nation's security is the top priority.

Latin Hot Borders

New Series Premiering - new episodes airing in July and November 2018

In Latin America, 35,000 kilometers of border territory separates Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, Paraguay and Brazil. This border divides more than nations; it divides the legal from the illegal. In the new series Latin Hot Borders, visit some of the most dangerous and problematic border points in South America to witness the dangers these regions face and see how agents patrol these areas.

National Geographic Simulcasts:

Primal Survivor

8x60 Premiering October 2018

Hazel Audel, survival instructor and wilderness guide, travels to some of the most extreme places on the planet to take on solo challenges that will push him to the limit of his knowledge, endurance and skills.

MARS Season 2

6x60, Premiering November 2018

Of all the planets in our solar system, none has captured our collective imagination like Mars. Last season, viewers followed the first human mission to Mars, set in 2033, as the crew struggled to safely land and create an initial settlement. In season two, we return to Mars years later, after the astronauts have established a full-fledged colony. But by this point, the International Mars Science Foundation - a multigovernment-sponsored space agency - cannot continue to solely finance the Mars expedition, so the doors of opportunity have swung wide open to the private sector. Tensions rise among original mission-driven scientists and miners sent by a for-profit corporation. Throughout six intriguing episodes, MARS examines the impact that humans have on the red planet - and the impact it has on us. Tracing the thrilling quest to make Mars home, National Geographic blends cinema-quality scripted drama set in the future with documentary sequences that feature current space-technology pioneers.

Valley of the Boom

6x60, Premiering in 2019

From STXtv, the television division of Robert Simonds' STX Entertainment, along with creator, showrunner, director and executive producer Matthew Carnahan (Showtime's "House of Lies") and executive producer Arianna Huffington, six-part limited series Valley of the Boom stars Emmy award-winning actor Bradley Whitford ("Get Out," "The Post," "The West Wing"), Steve Zahn ("War of the Planet of the Apes," ABC's "The Crossing") and Lamorne Morris ("Game Night," "New Girl"). Silicon Valley spawned some of the world's most influential people and recognizable brands during the 1990s tech bubble. Valley of the Boom pulls back the curtain and introduces the audience to the real stories of these tech founders' friendships, rivalries, victories and failures. Told with unparalleled access to the most groundbreaking and prominent figures in the tech world, the six-part limited series will follow the stories that made the history of the era.

STORY OF GOD Season 3

6x60, Premiering 1Q18

The new season of the Emmy-nominated series The Story of God with Morgan Freeman will again follow Academy Award-winning actor Freeman on an international journey as he discovers the power of religion and how it touches all of our lives. Freeman will travel to some of the world's holiest sites and speak with religious leaders, scientists, historians and archaeologists to try and shed light on topics that have puzzled us from the beginning. Each episode will focus on a different topic about the divine to help shed light on the questions that inspired mankind.

Wicked Tuna

Season seven, 16x60 Premiering July 2018

The series follows a group of salty commercial fishermen from the nation's oldest seaport, Gloucester, Massachusetts, as they make their living through rod-and-reel fishing in pursuit of bluefin tuna. One catch can bring in as much as $20,000, and with that much money on the line, every captain is fighting to be the best in the fleet. The captains will battle the bluefin, the elements and each other, and at the end of the season, one boat will come out on top.

Nat Geo WILD Simulcasts:

Sharkfest

3x60, premiering July 2018

Sharkfest returns this July with incredible stories from the world's leading scientists, along with wall-to-wall sharks. 700 Sharks features one of the largest shark swarms in the world, where a team spent three years plotting to descend among them. Shark vs. Tuna is a clash of oceanic titans and Where Big Sharks Rule zeroes in on South Africa's rocky coast where there's enough food to sustain the biggest jaws in the sea. Shark season has officially begun and Nat Geo WILD is your go-to channel for the most sharks per square inch of television.

Ninth Annual Big Cat Week

Weeklong Event Premieres November 2018

The fiercest week on television returns this fall with BIG CAT WEEK. In its ninth annual event, an all-new roaring lineup puts the spotlight on heartwarming, surprising and inspiring stories of big cats around the world. In this year's BIG CAT WEEK, discover the moving story of a young lion learning what it takes to become the king of the jungle in Lion Prince, follow the extraordinary tale of a strong-willed mother tiger who risks it all to rear her young cubs in Tiger Mom and head to South America with big cat expert Boone Smith to witness the rare behaviors of pumas preying on penguins in Argentina in Man Among Pumas. More than a television event, BIG CAT WEEK is an extension of the Big Cats Initiative, a long-term commitment by the National Geographic Society to halt the decline of big cats in the wild. This global initiative actively supports on-the-ground research and conservation projects to protect the planet's top felines. For more information on the Big Cats Initiative and how you can get involved, visit NatGeoBigCats.org. BIG CAT WEEK will premiere a special extended encore on Nat Geo WILD following its premiere on National Geographic.

BARKFEST

Programming Event Premieres February 2019

Woof woof! Your dog's favorite week of television returns with more floofs and floppy ears than ever before. Who can say no to a marathon of adorable and silly mutts? Curl up on the couch with your pup and tune in for some tail-wagging good TV with the return of Nat Geo WILD's paw-some BarkFest event.

# # #

About National Geographic Partners LLC:

National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between National Geographic and 21st Century Fox, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic's media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children's media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 130 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers ... and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter , Instagram, YouTube , LinkedIn and Pinterest .