Seeker Partners with Discovery on THE SWIM Featuring Ben Lecomte as First Man to Swim Across Pacific Ocean

Seeker, the no.1 most-engaged Science publisher on social in the U.S., announced today a new expedition, "The Swim," in partnership with Discovery and produced in association with Nomadica Films. The expedition features long-distance swimmer Ben Lecomte as he embarks on a historic 5,000-mile long swim across thePacific Ocean in an effort to gain awareness on the state of ocean health from pollution.

After being the first man to swim across the Atlantic in 1998, Lecomte will be accompanied by Seeker as he swims from Japan to San Francisco. Launching this May on Seeker.com, "The Swim" will bring Lecomte's six month Trans-Pacific journey to viewers across multiple platforms with live video from the boat, a mid-form video series on Discovery GO, short-form social videos, weekly Instagram Stories, weekly TV swim updates on Discovery, and will culminate with a feature-length documentary in 2019.

"The mission of my historic swim is to bring to light the current state of our oceans," said Ben Lecomte. "The research we collect during 'The Swim' will ultimately help us better protect our oceans and I'm excited to partner with Seeker and Discovery to bring this expedition and our findings to the world."

"We couldn't be more excited to travel alongside Ben and bring 'The Swim' to life for viewers worldwide," said Seeker's Chief Content Officer, Caroline Smith. "Not only are we documenting history, but we will be creating never-before-seen content in real-time from deep in the Pacific. Additionally, Seeker will shed light on key marine conservation issues, with the goal of driving viewers to take action to reverse the negative impact that humans have had on our oceans."

After seven years of preparation, Lecomte's crew left the AltaSea headquarters in the Port of Los Angeles on a 36 day journey to meet Ben in Yokohama, Japan where he will address themedia.

Negotiating weather conditions as the Western Pacific nears typhoon season, the crew will depart from Choshi, Japan in late May to start Ben's 5000-mile world record breaking attempt to swim across the Pacific. With digital-first Science publisher Seeker by his side, viewers from around the world will be able to watch and follow Ben and his crew as they make history and explore the world's largest ocean.

More than just a swim, "The Swim" will be the first citizen Science expedition of its kind. In collaboration with 27 Science institutions including NASA and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Ben and his crew will collect more than 1000 samples along the way in an effort to learn more about plastic pollution, mammal migrations, extreme endurance and even long term spaceflight. Ben and his crew will highlight the actions of their NGO partners, including Ocean Voyages Institute and Algalita Marine Research Foundation, and raise awareness of plastic pollution and climate change. They will also interact with 2500 students on a citizen Science program with the Ocean Institute.

"This is the perfect marriage of brands bringing a brand-new, stellar multi-platform content experience to our viewers worldwide," said Scott Lewers, EVP of Multi-Platform Programming Strategy, Discovery & Factual. "We are thrilled to partner with Seeker and follow Ben Lecomte's historic 5,000-mile long Trans-Pacific journey."

"'The Swim' is an exciting opportunity to highlight the deep connection we all have with the ocean - and the importance to protect and cherish it. Fins crossed for a safe crossing!" - Dr. Sylvia Earle, Founder of MISSION BLUE and Patron of The Swim.

About Seeker:

Seeker is the #1 most engaging Science brand on social media in the U.S. [Source: Tubular]. Our stories explain the world through the lens of science. Seeker aims to satisfy curiosity, make Science relatable and inspire young audiences. We encourage our viewers to question, dream and create. In December 2016, Seeker joined forces with Thrillist, The Dodo and NowThis to form Group Nine Media, one of the world's largest digital-first media companies.

About Discovery Channel:

Discovery Channel is dedicated to creating the highest quality non-fiction content that informs and entertains its consumers about the world in all its wonder, diversity and amazement. Thenetwork, which is distributed to 100.8 million U.S. homes, can be seen in 224 countries and territories, offering a signature mix of compelling, high-end production values and vivid cinematography across genres including, Science and technology, exploration, adventure, history and in-depth, behind-the-scenes glimpses at the people, places and organizations that shape and share our world. For more information please visit www.discovery.com .

About Nomadica Films

Nomadica Films is a full-service entertainment production company run by partners Jared McGilliard, David Clawson and John Collin JR. Before starting Nomadica in 2016, the team was the creative force behind several highly rated and critical acclaimed hits on Animal Planet, Discovery Channel and National Geographic, among others. Nomadica specializes in projects that take place at the ends of the earth, in some of the planet's most remote and dangerous environments. They create intensely intimate human stories with a rich, cinematic and original visual style.

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