Sky UK Limited and Tough Mudder Inc., the leading active lifestyle brand, today announced a video content partnership that brings Tough Mudder to digital and linear platforms on Sky Sports. Beginning in January, Sky Sports Mix will give viewers an in-depth look into all the action from the 2016 World’s Toughest Mudder, the grueling 24-hour extreme endurance race in which participants and teams compete to be named the World’s Toughest Mudder Champion.

2017 programming will include:

  • A multi-episode series focusing on World’s Toughest Mudder 2016, including pre-event and post-event episodes with top competitors, including Jon Albon, one of less than 60 British participants whose team was the first-ever to complete 105 miles at World’s Toughest Mudder, winning the grand prize of $100,000.
    • The preview show, Road to World’s Toughest Mudder, will air on January 24 on Sky Sports Mix at 8:00 pm GMT. The premier of World’s Toughest Mudder, will air January 26 at 8:30 pm GMT on Sky Sports Mix. Directly following, the World’s Toughest Aftershow airs January 26 at 9:30 pm GMT.
  • A six-part series that will feature five short digital episodes and a one-hour special airing later in 2017. The series will focus on three “every day” heroes and their journeys to overcome personal challenges while coming together with the single purpose to complete a Tough Mudder.
  • An original content television series from Sky and Tough Mudder, developed specifically to reach Sky’s audience in the UK, which will debut in 2017. The series will focus on UK athletes and their experience taking on Tough Mudder events, from a Tough Mudder Half to the first-ever Europe’s Toughest Mudder on May 13 and 14, 2017.

Throughout 2017, Sky will also post a mix of short-form Tough Mudder episodic content on digital, as well as across select Sky digital platforms and social media channels.

“We are thrilled to partner with Sky to expand our video content distribution footprint globally, bringing Tough Mudder to millions of people throughout the UK,” said Will Dean, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Offer of Tough Mudder, Inc. “As a leader of video content in the sports and active lifestyle industries, our partnership with Sky will allow us to continue reaching a truly global audience, while bringing Tough Mudder action to viewers of Sky Sport’s established linear programming and digital platforms.”

Sky Sports Head of Multisport, Georgina Faulkner, said: "Sky Sports Mix has brought a whole new set of sporting events into every Sky home for the first time, and Tough Mudder is another exciting addition. Our viewers will already be familiar with these popular events and we will bring the excitement, competition and sheer physical effort to an even wider audience."

The partnership with Sky builds on Tough Mudder’s innovative approach to broadcasting sporting events through multimedia distribution platforms, further solidifying its position as a leader in endurance and sporting event video coverage. In 2016 Tough Mudder saw record-breaking engagement during the live stream of its culminating event of the season, World’s Toughest Mudder, drawing more than 3.6 million views by fans across 200 countries. The company’s successful use of video through partnerships with Livestream, Snapchat and the use of YouTube and Facebook Live have made the Tough Mudder brand ubiquitous on all video distribution platforms. During the Tough Mudder 2016 season, the company averaged more than 723,000 views per live stream, setting viewership records in the obstacle course racing and endurance sporting events categories.

In addition to partnering with Sky in 2017, Tough Mudder also expanded its media and content portfolio in 2016 through partnerships with CBS Sports and The CW Network in North America.

This year, Tough Mudder, Inc. will host over 130 events worldwide in nearly a dozen countries. Since it first entered the UK market in 2013 the brand has been embraced by hundreds of thousands of fans across the country and has introduced four event series. Tough Mudder will also host nearly 20 events throughout the UK, including Mini Mudder, Tough Mudder Half, Tough Mudder and Toughest Mudder, offering full Tough Mudder Weekends (event descriptions below).

For more information on Tough Mudder and Sky programming and to see the 2017 schedule of events, visit toughmudder.co.uk. Join the conversation on social by following Tough Mudder on Twitter at @ToughMudder, on Instagram @Tough_Mudder, on Facebook at facebook.com/toughmudderuk, on Snapchat at Tough.Mudder and on YouTube at YouTube.com/ToughMudder.

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About Tough Mudder, Inc.:

Founded in 2010 with the launch of the Tough Mudder event series of 10-12 mile obstacle courses, Tough Mudder Inc. has since grown to become a leading active lifestyle company and leader in sports video content creation and distribution. The brand includes Mini Mudder, a 1-mile obstacle course designed for kids ages 7-12, Tough Mudder Half, an obstacle course challenge bringing the thrills of Tough Mudder to a 5-mile course; Toughest Mudder Series, an eight-hour, overnight competition series; World’s Toughest Mudder, a grueling 24-hour endurance competition; and an extremely vibrant engaging social and digital destination for fitness, nutrition and wellness content delivered across multiple platforms. The Tough Mudder family of brands and online community is united by a commitment to promoting courage, personal accomplishment and teamwork through unconventional, life-changing experiences. With more than 2.5 million participants globally to date, Tough Mudder Inc. will host more than 130 events worldwide in 2017 across four continents, including Asia through its partnerships with Seroja and IMG. More than 20 of the world’s leading brands are sponsorship and content distribution partners, including Merrell, Jeep, US Army, Olympus, Bosch, YouTube, Snapchat, Live Stream, Sky Sports, The CW and CBS Sports. To join the conversation, follow Tough Mudder on Facebook at facebook.com/toughmudderuk, on Twitter @ToughMudder, on Instagram @Tough_Mudder, on Snapchat at Tough.Mudder, on YouTube at YouTube.com/ToughMudder

About SKY UK Limited:

Sky is Europe's leading entertainment company, serving 21 million customers across five countries: UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria and Italy. We offer the best and broadest range of content, deliver market-leading customer service and use innovative new technology to give customers a better TV experience, whenever and wherever they choose. Sky has annual revenues of over £11 billion and is Europe's leading investor in television content with a combined programming budget of over £4.9 billion. The group employs 30,000 people and is listed on the London Stock Exchange (SKY). For more information visit www.sky.com/corporate