THIRD SEASON PREMIERE OF SYFY'S "FACE OFF" DELIVERS 1.8 MILLION TOTAL VIEWERS AND SYFY'S BEST TUESDAY NIGHT ORIGINAL UNSCRIPTED TELECAST EVER

Series Ranked as the Top Unscripted Cable Program in Social Activity

The Contestants Compete in their First Individual Challenge in an All-New Episode Airing Tuesday, August 28 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

New York, NY - August 22, 2012 - The third season premiere of Syfy's Face Off transformed 1.8 million total viewers, 1.0 million Adults 18-49, 909,000 Adults 25-54 and 573,000 Adults 18-34, scoring Syfy's best Tuesday night unscripted performance ever. Last night's telecast also delivered Syfy's highest ratings on a Tuesday night in the time period (9-10:30 p.m.) this year among Adults 18-49, Adults 18-34 and Adults 25-54, increasing its audience for each half-hour in all three demos. Last night, Face Off also ranked as the top unscripted cable program in social activity, besting Dance Moms, Teen Mom and Storage Wars.

Yesterday Syfy rolled out its anticipated Syfy Sync, a second-screen experience available on the Syfy Channel App for iPad and Android tablets that allows viewers to interact with Face Off while they watch. Syfy Sync users get exclusive access to dynamic extra content for Face Off including photos and video, and can interact with the show's host, judges and contestants. Face Off's premiere drove the Syfy Channel iPad App to have its best day ever in downloads.

In next week's all-new episode of Face Off airing Tuesday, August 28 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, the 11 remaining artists travel to the HMS Surprise in San Diego where host McKenzie Westmore reveals their first individual challenge: to create original pirate makeups. The contestants have an extra incentive to perform well as the winner of the challenge will score their own $5,000 pirate booty.

Face Off is a competition/elimination series exploring the world of special-effects make-up artists and the unlimited imagination that allows them to create amazing works of living art. Judging the Face Off competition are some of the most renowned names in the SFX world -- three-time Academy Award winner Ve Neill and famed special make-up effects artist Glenn Hetrick. Joining the series as the new judge is Neville Page, Lead Creature Designer on the highest grossing movie of all time Avatar and Character Designer on Ridley Scott's recent blockbuster Prometheus.

Face Off is a production of Mission Control Media with Dwight D. Smith, Michael Agbabian and Derek Atherton serving as executive producers.

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 98 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)