OXYGEN MEDIA EARNS RECORD RATINGS AS "BEST INK" DELIVERS SERIES HIGH WITH WOMEN 18-49 AND SEASON HIGH AMONG ADULTS 18-49

NEW YORK - April 18, 2013 - Oxygen Media earned record ratings on Wednesday night as the network's tattoo competition series "Best Ink" delivered a series high among women 18-49 and scored a season high among adults 18-49, according to Nielsen. Hosted by Fall Out Boy bassist, musician and tattoo enthusiast Pete Wentz, the third episode of season two delivered 494,000 total viewers. Last night's premiere was up double-digits, marking 55 percent growth among women 18-49, 48 percent among adults 18-49 and 47 percent among total viewers, compared to last week's episode (4/10/13). In addition, "Best Ink" ranked as the #4 most social reality series in Cable yesterday, according to SocialGuide.. For more information, visit www.oxygen.com and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/OxygenPR.

In last night's episode, designers Angela and Vanessa Simmons pushed the artists to put their best foot forward in the Flash Challenge, tasking them to ink shoe designs for their Pastry line. In the Ink Challenge, the artists were paired up to create tattoos for family members who wanted to commemorate a shared emotional experience. At the end of last night's episode, Kelly McEvoy of Wrightwood, CA was eliminated as the judges decided she did not have what it takes to be the "Best Ink."

Next week on "Best Ink" airing on Wednesday, April 24 at 10pm ET/PT, the artists are forced out of their comfort zones when they are asked to create abstract tattoos for music-loving clients. Host Pete Wentz and international pinup model Sabina Kelly judge the musically charged Flash Challenge in which the artists design Fender guitars.

"Best Ink" is produced by Bunim/Murray Productions, a Banijay Group company, with Jonathan Murray, Gil Goldschein, and Rick DeOlivera serving as executive producers and Sam Berns and Tony Croll serving as co-executive producers.

Source: Nielsen Media Research, LS; SocialGuide.

About Oxygen Media

Oxygen Media is a multiplatform entertainment brand that delivers relevant and engaging content to young women who like to "live out loud." Oxygen is rewriting the rulebook for women's media by changing how the world sees entertainment from a young woman's point of view. Through a vast array of unconventional and original content, including "The Glee Project," "The Face," "Best Ink," "I'm Having Their Baby" and "Bad Girls Club," the growing cable network is the premier destination to find unique and groundbreaking unscripted programming. "The Glee Project" is a winner of a 2012 Gracie Award which honors programming created for women, by women and about women for "Outstanding Reality Show." A social media trendsetter, Oxygen is a leading force in engaging modern young women, wherever they are, with popular, award winning features online including www.OxygenLive.com, the real time social viewing party that is also available as an app for the iPhone and iPad. Oxygen is available in 80 million homes, and can be found online and on mobile devices at www.oxygen.com. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/OxygenPR. Oxygen Media is a service of NBCUniversal.