Spike TV Goes Auction Hunting for a New Season

NEW YORK, Dec. 1, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Spike TV has ordered a second season of 20 episodes of its successful original series, "Auction Hunters," it was announced today by Sharon Levy, Spike TV's executive vice president, original series and animation.  This marks the largest order ever for a second season of a Spike original series.  Premiering on November 9, the weekly series has averaged a robust 1.1 million viewers, increasing in viewership each week. (The most recent episode on November 23 drew 1.3 million viewers).  The first season consists of eight episodes with the season finale on Tuesday, December 21.  No date has been announced for the new season.

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"Auction Hunters" is among the new crop of Spike original series aimed at broadening the network's audience.   The show's current median age is 39, five years older than the network's current average age in 2010 for original series.  The series is also bringing in new viewers to the channel as 49% of the "Auction Hunters" audience hadn't watched Spike TV the week before.   Overall, the show has delivered 58% more viewers and 30% more Men 25-34 in the time period versus last year.  

"Ton and Allen are the very best in the storage-unit auction business and our audience has embraced their ingenuity and unique personalities," noted Levy. 

"Auction Hunters" explores the cutthroat world of storage-unit auctions with two of the best prospectors in the business, Clinton "Ton" Jones and Allen Haff.  Every day in America, there are over ten thousand abandoned storage units that are put up for public auction.  Each unit has the potential to be a goldmine or a bust for those who make their living hunting unclaimed property. The series offers viewers a rare look into the high stakes, financial risks and potential rewards where the right purchase can bring in serious cash. 

"Auction Hunters" is produced by Gurney Productions and executive produced by Scott Gurney, Deirdre Gurney and Philip Lott.  Levy is Spike TV's executive vice president, original series and animation, Tim Duffy is vice president of original programming for Spike TV and Joe Weinstock is director, original programming.

Allen Haff is a second generation antiques dealer and collector with over 20 years of experience in the field.  By the age of 24, he owned his first antique business in Houston, TX and was one of the earliest eBay sellers of vintage collectibles online.  He moved to Los Angeles ten years ago and immediately began hunting in storage unit auctions, Hollywood thrift stores, estate sales and swap meets and earned a living buying and selling antiques and collectibles.  In 2008, Haff started Hollywood & Vintage, a high volume liquidation company specializing in movie memorabilia and vintage collectibles that he operates from his office and warehouse in Los Angeles.

Ton Jones is a self-described hobbyist who has spent years hunting and fishing, as well as collecting knives, swords, guns, old currency and jewelry.  Jones was introduced to storage unit auctions more than seven years ago when he was looking for old cars to take into the desert to wreck for fun, but what he found was a world specifically tailored to his unique skills.  Jones, an imposing figure standing over 6'0", 300lbs., is a renowned auction hunter in the Southern California area.  Jones' expertise lays in rare coins and weaponry, such as medieval swords, daggers and armor.

Spike TV is available in 99.4 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks.  A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV's Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV's press site at http://www.spike.com/press.

SOURCE Spike TV