“Shark Tank,” the critically acclaimed and multi-Emmy® Award-winning business-themed unscripted series that celebrates entrepreneurship in America, returns to ABC and Hulu this fall for its 17th season with a powerhouse lineup of business tycoons and Guest Sharks featured throughout the season. The hit reality show that has become a culturally defining series and inspires a nation to dream bigger has amassed over $11 billion in retail sales from deals offered in the Tank.
The Sharks – tough, self-made, multimillionaire and billionaire tycoons – continue their search to invest in the best businesses and products that America has to offer. The Sharks will once again give people from all walks of life the chance to chase the American Dream and potentially secure business deals that could make them millionaires.
The Sharks are real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran; prolific CPG investor and prolific inventor Lori Greiner; cyber-security technology innovator Robert Herjavec; fashion and branding expert Daymond John; venture capitalist Kevin O’Leary; and philanthropist and founder of KIND Snacks, Camino Partners and Build, Daniel Lubetzky.
“Shark Tank” will feature more Guest Sharks than ever before during the 2025-2026 season including Michael Strahan, co-anchor of “Good Morning America” and co-founder of SMAC; Chip and Joanna Gaines, owners and founders, Magnolia; Alexis Ohanian, venture capitalist and founder, Seven Seven Six; co-founder, Reddit; Fawn Weaver, founder and CEO, Uncle Nearest Inc.; Allison Ellsworth, founder and chief brand officer, poppi (who first appeared as an entrepreneur in Season 10); and returning Guest Sharks Kendra Scott, philanthropist and founder behind the eponymous global lifestyle brand Kendra Scott; and Rashaun Williams, venture capitalist, Atlanta Falcons limited partner and financial literacy activist. The Guest Sharks will appear individually alongside the regular cast of Sharks in various episodes.
As in past seasons, “Shark Tank” episodes will have follow-up stories, allowing viewers the opportunity to see how some investments led to success.
The entrepreneurs who dare to enter the Tank must try to convince the Sharks to part with their own hard-earned cash and give them the funding they desperately need to turn their dreams into million-dollar realities. All of the good, bad, emotional and even absurd pitches help showcase the “I wish I had thought of that” business ideas and products.
But the Sharks have a goal, too —to get a return on their investment and own a piece of the next big business idea. When the Sharks hear an idea worth sinking their teeth into, they’re more than ready to declare war and fight each other for a piece of it.
“Shark Tank” won the 2024 Emmy Award for Outstanding Structured Reality Program following four back-to-back Emmys in 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014 out of a total of 27 Emmy nominations over 16 seasons. “Shark Tank” won the NATPE 2014 and 2017 Reality Breakthrough Award, and in 2016, the BANFF World Media Festival Award and the IRTS Hall of Mentorship Award. Additional recognition includes 11 Critics Choice TV Awards/Real TV Award wins, three Summer Television Critics Association (TCA) nominations for Outstanding Achievement in Reality Programming (winning in 2013), seven NAACP Image Award nominations for Outstanding Reality Series in 2014, 2015 and 2016 and for Outstanding Reality Program/Reality Competition or Game Show in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, a Kids Choice Award nominations for Favorite Reality Show in 2015 and 2017, and four Producers Guild Award nominations in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Viewers will continue to ride an emotional roller coaster this season, complete with heated fights between the Sharks, ingenious business ideas and touching moments. Whichever way the wheeling and dealing may go, many people’s lives will be better off — because they dared to enter the unpredictable waters of the “Shark Tank.”
Mark Burnett, Clay Newbill, Yun Lingner, Max Swedlow, Brandon Wallace, Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, Kevin O’Leary, Barry Poznick, and Phil Gurin are the executive producers of “Shark Tank,” which is based on the Japanese “Dragons’ Den” format, created by Nippon TV. “Shark Tank” is produced by MGM Television, a division of Amazon MGM Studios, in association with Sony Pictures Television.
Since launching in 2001 as “Money Tigers” on Nippon TV in Japan and known around the world under titles including “Dragons’ Den,” “Shark Tank,” and “Lions’ Den,” the Sony Pictures Television-distributed format has become the world’s No. 1 adapted business reality television show, in terms of the number of territories launched. Produced in territories on every continent, the format sees aspiring entrepreneurs pitch to secure investment from some of the top names in the business world.
