Shark Tank is a reality
television series that premiered on
ABC on August 9, 2009. The show is based on
Dragon's Den, which has been licensed in numerous countries. The original series concept is derived from a
Japanese show,
Manê no Tora (Money Tigers). The series stars five "Sharks" — multi-millionaire business tycoons — who hear investment proposals from
entrepreneurs and consider whether to invest in the businesses.
The series is produced by
Mark Burnett who signed a deal in 2008 with
Dragons' Den format-holder Sony to produce an American version. Unlike many versions of the show (particularly English-speaking versions), Burnett chose to retitle the U.S. version
Shark Tank.
[Sony, Burnett dive into 'Shark Tank', Variety [1] February 13, 2008] The series shares similarites with previous ABC series
American Inventor,
which was co-produced by
Peter Jones, a "Dragon" on the
UK version of
Dragons' Den.
Five new episodes began airing on Friday, January 8, 2010 at 9/8c, using unaired footage from previous tapings.
[twitter.com/robertherjavec/statuses/5328661113]
Premise and format
Like other international versions,
Shark Tanks style and format is most based on the UK version of Dragons' Den
. Each episode features a series of investment proposals from the owner(s) of a business. The presentation must request a specific sum of money from the Sharks and offer up a certain percentage ownership stake of the business in exchange. The presentations typically include a description of the service or product, a discussion of the business's history, its financial figures (current sales, profit margins, costs, etc.), the business plan, how the Sharks' money would be used. The presentation as aired is interactive, with the Sharks regularly shown asking questions during the pitch.
Any of the Sharks may decide to make an offer to the entrepreneur. Sharks may cooperate and offer to join in another Shark's offer, if that Shark agrees, or they may make their own offers for the same or other terms. The Sharks are not restricted to offering only what the entrepreneur has asked for, and may offer more money or request a larger or smaller share of the business (smaller shares are often requested by Sharks in order to compete with other Sharks' offers); however, the entrepreneur cannot accept an offer for less money than they initially request. As a result, negotiations often involve asking for a larger stake than is initially being offered. If offers are made, the entrepreneur must decide whether to accept, or decline. The series is non-competitive, and the investment opportunities are not compared to one another. Each is considered on its own merits.
The Sharks
There are five Sharks, each with their own particular areas of interest and skills. Besides their money, the Sharks will also become shareholders in the businesses they invest in, and will purportedly offer their expertise and advice to help the business (and their investment) succeed and grow. Because of this, entrepreneurs sometimes have a particular Shark in mind when they pitch their business, knowing that a certain Shark has specific skills and experience that will benefit their business more than the others.
Two of the initial five Sharks have also been Dragons on the
Canadian version of
Dragons' Den since it premiered in 2006. The Sharks are:
[Introducing the Sharks [2]March 30, 2009]
US Nielsen ratings
Season 1
| Order
| Rating
| Share
| Rating/Share
(18-49)
| Viewers
(millions)
| Rank
|
| 1
| 2.7
| 4
| 1.3/4
| 4.23
| #18
|
| 2
| 3.5
| 6
| 1.8/5
| 5.72
| #11
|
| 3
| 3.4
| 6
| 1.8/5
| 5.61
| #13
|
| 4
| 3.0
| 5
| 1.7/5
| 4.79
| #12
|
| 5
| 3.0
| 5
| 1.1/4
| 3.56
| #20
|
| 6
| 2.6
| 4
| 1.4/3
| 4.30
| #32
|
| 7
| 1.5
| TBA
| 1.6/5
| 5.28
| TBA
|
| 8
| 3.4
| 5
| 1.5/4
| 5.15
| TBA
|
| 9
| TBA
| TBA
| 1.6/5
| 5.40
| TBA
|
| 10
| TBA
| TBA
| 1.8/5
| 5.92
| TBA
|
| 11
| 2.4
| 4
| 1.4/4
| 3.96
| TBA
|
| 12
| 2.7
| 5
| 1.6/5
| 4.44
| TBA
|
| 13
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 14
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 15
|
|
|
|
|
|
Episodes
"Yes" means one or more Sharks initiated a deal, that they may or may not have carried through with after a
due diligence process.
| # | Title | Original air date | Production code
|
