Discovery’s Project C.A.T. and Tigers United raise funding for endangered tigers during College Football Playoff National Championship

Organizations Will Launch a Text to Donate Campaign leading up to game on Monday

NEW YORK, N.Y. — Discovery Inc., the global leader in real life entertainment, and Tigers United, an organization comprised of four tiger mascot universities, today announced a text to donate activation, which begins January 11 and will be highlighted at the College Football Playoff National Championship game on Monday, January 13 at 8 p.m. EST. Fans can save tigers and support their favorite team with a donation through January 15 at 11:59 p.m. EST. The campaign is raising funding to support a shared goal of doubling the wild tiger population by 2022 with proceeds directed to Discovery’s Project C.A.T. and Tigers United.

This year’s College Football National Championship game will feature Clemson University and Louisiana State University, two of the four tiger-mascot schools that represent Tigers United. They might be competitors on the field, but as part of Tigers United, they are undivided in their mission to save their mascot. Clemson University and Louisiana State University have joined with other Consortium schools – Auburn University and University of Missouri – to combine their expertise in research, training and technology and advocacy to reach their goal.

This Tiger vs. Tiger matchup provides a great platform to shine a spotlight on the endangered tiger population and the multiple threats they still face from poaching and habitat loss. There are currently less than 4,000 wild tigers on the planet. Tigers are the most popular mascot; they are revered in some cultures and prominent in popular culture. They are everywhere except where they should be, in the wild. As apex predators, tigers play a vital role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem. By protecting tigers and their habitat, we are also helping to protect other at-risk animals that share this habitat.

Discovery launched Project C.A.T., Conserving Acres for Tigers in 2016 to protect and increase the wild tiger population, which has shrunk an astonishing 96% over the last century. This program funds nearly six million acres of protected habitat across five countries and aims to ensure a healthy habitat for future generations of tigers. Discovery is proud to support the work of Tigers United and use this game to raise additional funds and awareness for tiger conservation by launching a text to donate campaign. Viewers can text CLEMSON or LSU to 707070 to make a donation which will be split between Project C.A.T. and Tigers United. Discovery will also match up to $50k for the team with the highest donation amount.

“Project C.A.T. is an incredibly important initiative for Discovery and one that aligns with our global mission as an organization to inspire, inform and make positive changes in the world,” said David Leavy, Chief Corporate Operating Officer at Discovery, Inc. “Tigers United is a wonderful partner in this campaign, and we are thrilled to bring the message of tiger conservation to consumers on such a major national platform during the College Football National Championship.”

“Discovery and Tigers United share the common goal of saving our wild tigers. With this unique opportunity of two tiger-mascot universities, both members of Tigers United, facing off in the national championship game, we are excited to partner with Discovery’s Project C.A.T. to broadly share our conservation message,” said Dr. Brett Wright, Director of Tigers United University Consortium and Professor and Dean Emeritus of Clemson University’s College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences at Clemson University.

“The LSU Tigers are very pleased to be part of this initiative to save tigers and want to increase the awareness of people supporting our university and our team in the plight of tigers in the wild. Geaux Tigers!” said Dr. Allen Rutherford, Director of the School of Renewable Natural Resources at Louisiana State University.

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About Project C.A.T.:
Launched in 2016, Project C.A.T., Conserving Acres for Tigers is Discovery’s historic partnership with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to protect and increase the wild tiger population. In the last century alone, the wild tiger population has dropped an astonishing 96%, to fewer than 4,000 left in the wild due to habitat loss and pervasive poaching. Given ample space, prey and protection from poaching, tiger populations can rebound. The effort to double tigers – a species at the top of the food chain – will protect other endangered species and stimulate a healthy ecosystem across the nearly 6 million acres of protected habitat this program supports. For more information on Project C.A.T., please visit projectcat.discovery.com

About Discovery:
Discovery, Inc. (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is a global leader in real life entertainment, serving a passionate audience of superfans around the world with content that inspires, informs and entertains. Discovery delivers over 8,000 hours of original programming each year and has category leadership across deeply loved content genres around the world. Available in 220 countries and territories and nearly 50 languages, Discovery is a platform innovator, reaching viewers on all screens, including TV Everywhere products such as the GO portfolio of apps; direct-to-consumer streaming services such as Eurosport Player and MotorTrend OnDemand; digital-first and social content from Group Nine Media; a landmark natural history and factual content partnership with the BBC; and a strategic alliance with PGA TOUR to create the international home of golf. Discovery’s portfolio of premium brands includes Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, and Science Channel, as well as OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network in the U.S., Discovery Kids in Latin America, and Eurosport, the leading provider of locally relevant, premium sports and Home of the Olympic Games across Europe. For more information, please visit corporate.discovery.com and follow @DiscoveryIncTV across social platforms.

About Tigers United:
The Tigers United University Consortium was initiated by Clemson University President James P. Clements, who also serves on the Global Tiger Initiative Council. Comprised of business and conservation leaders, this international council assists the Global Tiger Forum in saving remaining populations of wild tigers, with a goal of doubling tiger numbers in the wild by 2022, which is the next Year of the Tiger in the Chinese calendar.

Tigers United consists of Auburn University, Clemson University, Louisiana State University and University of Missouri. Through the consortium, the four universities combine their expertise in academic disciplines important to tiger conservation and protection—wildlife management, engineering, environmental science, conservation social science, veterinary medicine, communications, and eco-tourism, to name a few.  Our work is focused on four pillars: training, research, technology transfer and advocacy. With more than one university approaching the problem, the odds of success increase.