Sunday kicked off the most wonderful time of the year for fans of the ocean’s apex predator. Yes, “Shark Week” is finally upon us once again, the 37th time Discovery Channel has put on the marathon. This year, the network will deliver a total of 20 hours of shark-themed programming through July 26. The big-ticket program and marathon opener is “Dancing with Sharks,” an underwater dance competition hosted by Tom Bergeron airing Sunday at 8pm. Five expert divers and their shark partners will attempt to pull off never-before-seen dance moves like the “Hammerhead Hoedown” and “Tiger Trot.” Human-shark relations have come a long way since “Jaws.”

Part of Warner Bros. Discovery’s marketing strategy this year was a Shark Week swag box sent to Cablefax and other members of the press. Inside we found a stylish trucker hat and an incredibly comfy sweater from Aviator Nation as well as a limited edition Aquaman comic in which the hero teams up with sharks to defeat the bad guys. (That dude would absolutely dominate a shark dance contest.)

Ahead of Shark Week, WBD also announced a brand partnership with barbershop franchise Sport Clips, which is temporarily rebranding its social channels as “Shark Clips,” featuring editorial-style videos that tie into the marathon. Sport Clips is also running a CTV campaign and a “Free Haircuts for a Year” sweepstakes on WBD’s platforms. Other sponsors include Sherwin-Williams, Universal Pictures, Long John Silver’s and the University of Phoenix.

Shark Week reached 25 million total viewers across linear and streaming last year, a 10% increase YoY, and Discovery Channel will be looking to replicate that success on the dance floor as well via several other specials, including “How to Survive a Shark Attack,” “Air Jaws” and “Expedition Unknown: Shark Files.” 

The Daily

Subscribe
Friday–July 18

Blue Stream Enters New Era With Fresh Leadership

It’s a new dawn for Blue Stream Fiber after spending the past month recalibrating its leadership roster.

Read the Full Issue
The Skinny is delivered on Tuesday and focuses on the cable profession. You'll stay in the know on the headlines, topics and special issues you value most. Sign Up

Calendar

Sep 11
2025 Faxies Awards Faxies Nominations Open! Final deadline: 4/4/25
Full Calendar

Jobs

Seeking an INDUSTRY JOB or hiring for one?
VIEW JOBS

In conjunction with our sister brand, Cynopsis, we are offering hiring managers a deep pool of media-savvy, skilled candidates at a range of experience levels and sectors. The result will be an even more robust industry job board, to help both employers and job seekers.

Contact Carley Ashley, [email protected], for more information about posting a job on the website and our Jobs newsletter, sent twice weekly to 85,000 media professionals.