"BATTLEBOTS" KICKS OFF ELIMINATION ROUNDS WITH "DESPERADO" SPECIAL

Second Half Kicks Off Friday, August 3 at 8 PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel and Wednesday, August 8 at 9 PM ET/PT on Science Channel

(New York) - The epic robot-fighting series BattleBots returns with even higher stakes for the second half of its 2018 season as momentum builds towards the 2018 World Championship and the awarding of the Giant Nut to the ultimate BattleBots Champion. As part two of the season commences, some bots are already on the brink of elimination, including several fan favorites. In order to give them a last chance at qualifying for the championship, BattleBots is staging its first ever 'Desperado' Tournament, where 8 teams will be given the chance to win one guaranteed place in the final 16 qualifiers. It's a fight to the death, and only one robot can win.

The Desperado Tournament is the first of 10 new episodes in the second half of the season, and is set to premiere Friday, August 4 at 8 PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel and Wednesday, August 8th at 9 PM on Science Channel.

BattleBots, the world's largest and most popular robot combat competition, features the biggest, baddest, strongest, and fastest next-generation robots from all over the world as they duke it out for robot combat sports supremacy. Chris Rose and Kenny Florian call all the action, while Jessica Chobot serves as the sideline reporter. Faruq Tauheed is the ring announcer.

The metal munching mayhem, from the bots to the builders, the flames, the sparks and all the robot guts and glory, will culminate at the end of this season in do or die matches that will ultimately crown the 2018 BattleBots champion. Some of the favorites that will be duking it out are Tombstone, Minotaur, Chomp, Witch Doctor, Bronco, Bombshell, Biteforce, Yeti, and more.

BattleBots highlights the design and build of each robot, featuring bot builder backstories, and their pursuit of the BattleBots championship. Homemade robots have been built on a myriad of platforms and feature a huge variety of deadly weapons as they go head-to-head, all captured by state-of-the-art onboard 'BotCams' and more than 20 ringside cameras to enhance viewing and provide combat analytics.

BattleBots is the killer robot combat sport created by Ed Roski and Greg Munson. It is produced by Whalerock Industries and BattleBots Inc. Executive producers are Lloyd Braun, Chris Cowan, Edward P. Roski (Trey), Greg Munson, Tom Gutteridge and Aaron Catling. Wyatt Channell will executive produce for Discovery Channel and Science Channel.

About Discovery Channel

Discovery Channel is dedicated to creating the highest quality non-fiction content that informs and entertains its consumers about the world in all its wonder, diversity and amazement. The network, which is distributed to 100.8 million U.S. homes, can be seen in 224 countries and territories, offering a signature mix of compelling, high-end production values and vivid cinematography across genres including, science and technology, exploration, adventure, history and in-depth, behind-the-scenes glimpses at the people, places and organizations that shape and share our world. For more information, please visit www.discovery.com

About Science Channel:

Science Channel, a multi-media business unit of Discovery, Inc. is the home of all things science around the clock, including series such as MYTHBUSTERS, OUTRAGEOUS ACTS OF SCIENCE, WHAT ON EARTH?, HOW THE UNIVERSE WORKS, UNEARTHED, and MYSTERIES OF THE ABANDONED. Science Channel's programming also included timely, expert-driven specials covering breaking science news and discoveries. Science Channel is the premiere TV, digital and social community for those with a passion for science, space, technology, archeology, and engineering, providing immersive, engaging, high-quality entertainment across all Science Channel assets including: Science Channel television network, available in more than 63 million homes in the U.S; complimentary Video On Demand offering; SCI Go app allowing viewers to catch up on full episodes of their favorite shows anytime; deep video, interactive storytelling and virtual reality at www.sciencechannel.com; and conversations on Science Channel's popular social platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat via @ScienceChannel.

About Discovery:

Discovery, Inc. (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is a global leader in real life entertainment, serving a passionate audience of superfans around the world with content that inspires, informs and entertains. Discovery delivers over 8,000 hours of original programming each year and has category leadership across deeply loved content genres around the world. Available in 220 countries and territories and 50 languages, Discovery is a platform innovator, reaching viewers on all screens, including TV Everywhere products such as the GO portfolio of apps and Discovery Kids Play; direct-to-consumer streaming services such as Eurosport Player and Motor Trend OnDemand; digital-first and social content from Group Nine Media and a strategic alliance with the PGA Tour to create the Global Home of Golf. Discovery's portfolio of premium brands includes Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, Turbo/Velocity, Animal Planet, and Science Channel, as well as OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network in the U.S., Discovery Kids in Latin America, and Eurosport, the leading provider of locally relevant, premium sports and Home of the Olympic Games across Europe. For more information, please visit www.corporate.discovery.com and follow @DiscoveryIncTV across social platforms.