USA NETWORK ANNOUNCES SECOND SEASON PICKUP OF "THE PURGE" AHEAD OF TONIGHT'S SEASON 1 FINALE

NEW YORK, NY - November 6, 2018 - Today, USA Network announced a second season pick-up for THE PURGE. A co-production with Blumhouse Television and Universal Cable Productions, THE PURGE is currently USA's #1 drama averaging 1.2MM (18-49) and 2.3MM (P2+)*. The series airs on USA with the Season 1 finale airing tonight, November 6 at 10/9c.

"USA Network is so proud to be the television home for the iconic franchise, THE PURGE," said Chris McCumber, President, Entertainment Networks for NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. "The partnership and creative trust of Jason Blum and everyone at Blumhouse Television and Universal Pictures ensured THE PURGE's successful transition from film to TV - and, along with Universal Cable Productions, we look forward to digging even deeper into the mythology in Season 2."

"James Demonaco has done it again: the propulsive and compelling story he crafted for Season 1 of THE PURGE truly resonated with audiences in a significant way," said Jason Blum, founder of Blumhouse. "We are thrilled to embark on Season 2, and can't wait to bring more of James' vision to USA and fans of THE PURGE."

Based on the hit movie franchise from Blumhouse Productions, THE PURGE revolves around a 12-hour period when all crime, including murder, is legal. Set in an altered America ruled by a totalitarian political party, Season 1 follows several seemingly unrelated characters living in a small city. As the clock winds down, the characters are forced to reckon with their past as they discover how far they will go to survive the night.

THE PURGE Season 1 was executive produced by the film franchise creator James DeMonaco and Thomas Kelly. Additionally, the entire team behind the blockbuster franchise ?executive produced: Michael Bay with Brad Fuller and Andrew Form under the Platinum Dunes banner and Sebastien K. Lemercier. The series is a co-production with Jason Blum's Blumhouse Television and Universal Cable Productions.

*Source: Nielsen Live+7 (000), 1/1/18-10/21/18

About USA Network

USA Network, the leader in cable entertainment, offers a powerful stable of dramatic, comedic and unscripted originals in more than 102 million U.S. homes. The network also features spectacular live television, a dynamic portfolio of acquired series and the best in blockbuster theatrical films 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. USA's award-winning website is located at http://www.usanetwork.com. Watch USA Network anywhere: On Demand, online or across mobile and connected TVs.

About Blumhouse Television

Blumhouse Television has earned critical acclaim and numerous honors for its dark, edgy fare including Emmy awards for its productions of HBO's "The Normal Heart" and "The Jinx," as well as the prestigious Peabody award for "The Jinx" and the documentary "How to Dance in Ohio." Blumhouse Television launched as an independent studio in 2017 with funding from ITV. Projects since the studio's launch include a limited series for Showtime based on journalist Gabriel Sherman's reporting on former Fox News chief, Roger Ailes, starring Russell Crowe, with Tom McCarthy writing and executive producing; "Sharp Objects," the limited series from Marti Noxon and Gillian Flynn for HBO based on Flynn's best-selling novel, starring Amy Adams and directed by Jean-Marc Valle. The studio also produces "The Purge", the #1 drama on USA Network this year, from writer/director/producer James DeMonaco; "Sacred Lies" from Raelle Tucker for Facebook Watch, whose first episode has been viewed by almost 10 million people and the holiday themed anthology event series Into the Dark for Hulu. Blumhouse continues its true crime docuseries tradition with projects in production for f/x, Sundance and Oxygen. Blumhouse Television is the latest venture from Jason Blum, founder of Blumhouse Productions, which is widely-recognized for its pioneering model of producing high-quality micro-budget films including "The Purge," "Get Out" and "Whiplash."

About Universal Cable Productions

UCP is a premium content studio that operates with a highly curated indie sensibility, while simultaneously leveraging the power and scale of NBCUniversal. As fierce advocates for creators with an eclectic point of view, the UCP team develops pioneering original programming with partners such as Amazon ("Homecoming"), Netflix ("The Umbrella Academy"), Hulu ("The Act") and YouTube ("Impulse"). In addition, UCP produces high-caliber content for NBCU Cable networks, including Bravo ("Dirty John"), USA (the Emmy(R) and Golden Globe(R)-winning drama "Mr. Robot," the Golden Globe nominated "The Sinner," "The Purge" and "Suits" ) and SYFY ("Happy!," "The Magicians" and "Channel Zero"). UCP's content library also features 800 hours of award-winning and critically-acclaimed content, including the Emmy Award-winning "Monk," the Peabody and Hugo Award-winning "Battlestar Galactica" and the Emmy nominated "Psych."