Roku Expands Unscripted Adventure Slate to Include Trio of New Series: “Fight to Survive,” “Reptile Royalty,” and “UFO Cowboys”

Akbar Gbajabiamila Set to Host “Fight to Survive”

New Roku Originals land on The Roku Channel later in 2023

Roku announced the expansion of its unscripted Roku Originals slate with the greenlight of three new adventure series: “Fight to Survive,” “Reptile Royalty,” and “UFO Cowboys.”

“Fight to Survive” will take audiences on a journey to a remote, tropical island for the most intense survival competition ever; “Reptile Royalty” brings audiences into the unpredictable world of social media sensation Jay Brewer’s legendary Reptile Zoo; and “UFO Cowboys” invites audiences to saddle up with a group of expert ranchers roaming the American West to investigate extra-terrestrial activity. The series will exclusively debut later in 2023 on The Roku Channel.
 

FIGHT TO SURVIVE: Hosted by Akbar Gbajabiamila (“American Ninja Warrior,” “The Talk”), “Fight to Survive” is a primitive, social experiment that drops 17 survivalists onto a remote, tropical island. Featuring fan-favorite contestants from past seasons of “Survivor,” “Naked and Afraid” and “Alone,” the series explores the true nature of “survival of the fittest,” where competitors can challenge one another by force – fighting for essential tools and resources. The survivalists must endure not only each other, but also brutal natural conditions, on their quest to win up to $250,000.

The eight-episode series is executive produced by Kevin Lee for Tollbooth Television.
 

REPTILE ROYALTY: Join social media sensation Jay Brewer, and his team, on their never-ending adventure of running the world-renowned Reptile Zoo in Fountain Valley, California. Working alongside his three daughters and a colorful group of fearless animal lovers, Brewer encounters one scale-covered tale after the next, as he cares for over 600 of the rarest and exotic reptiles on Earth. Each episode provides an all-access look at the day-to-day operations of the famous zoo, which is always jam-packed with laugh-out-loud adventure and unavoidable chaos.

The six-episode series is executive produced by Shawn Witt, Tim Cohen-Laurie, Mark Efman, Richard J. Green, and Kelvin Parker for ITV America’s Leftfield Pictures.
 

UFO COWBOYS: From the producers of the long-running hit “Mountain Monsters,” “UFO Cowboys” follows a group of ranchers, known as the Cowboy Sky Watchers, as they investigate paranormal happenings along the 37th Parallel. Known as the “UFO Superhighway,” this area is legendary for many UFO sightings and disturbances, with more supernatural and extraterrestrial sightings in the American West than anywhere else in the United States. Using ancient tracking techniques and modern technology, this team expertly investigates mysterious activity throughout the ranches and farms of the American West.

The eight-episode series is executive produced by Colt Straub, Duke Straub, and Royal Malloy for American Chainsaws.

The series are overseen by Sean Boyle, head of adventure and exploration programming, on behalf of Roku.
 

QUOTE
Brian Tannenbaum, head of alternative originals, Roku: “Our latest trio of Roku Originals, “Fight to Survive,” “Reptile Royalty,” and “UFO Cowboys,” underscores our commitment to showcasing everyday people in extraordinary circumstances. Each series offers our streamers a glimpse into an almost unbelievable world – with a mix of high stakes, fight, heart, and some humor along the way.”
 

BACKGROUND
The new series join the expanding slate of alternative Roku Originals, including “The Great American Baking Show,” “Meet Me in Paris: A Reality Rom-Com,” “Honest Renovations,” “Lincoln Log Masters,” “The Cupcake Guys,” “Que Delicioso,” “Morimoto’s Sushi Master,” “Match Me in Miami,” “The Marriage Pact,” “Martha Gardens,” “Martha Cooks,” “Martha Holidays,” “Emeril Cooks,” “Emeril Tailgates,” “Milk Street’s My Family Recipe,” “Milk Street’s Cooking School,” and more.

The Roku Channel is the exclusive home of Roku Originals. From award-winning scripted entertainment and engaging documentaries to new breakout unscripted series, Roku Originals gives viewers free access to bold, fresh entertainment from the biggest names in Hollywood.

Launched in 2017, The Roku Channel is the home of free and premium entertainment on the Roku platform. In Q4 2021, The Roku Channel reached U.S. households with an estimated 80 million people. The Roku Channel was a top 5 channel on the Roku platform in the U.S. by active account reach and streaming hour engagement in Q3 2022. Today, The Roku Channel features a diverse lineup of more than 80,000 free movies and programs and more than 350 free live linear television channels in the U.S. It licenses and distributes content from more than 250 partners. In addition to Roku devices, The Roku Channel is available on web, iOS, and Android devices, as well as Amazon Fire TV and select Samsung TVs.

Roku is a registered trademark of Roku, Inc. In the U.S. and in other countries. Trade names, trademarks and service marks of other companies appearing in this press release are the property of their respective holders.
 

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