‘Sharkfest’ Will Be a Joint Venture for Disney’s Networks, Stations
Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior on board alongside Nat Geo, as are ABC’s owned stations
Sharkfest starts July 2 on National Geographic and lasts throughout the month of July. Disney networks Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Mundo, Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN2 are also taking part. Disney Channel will feature shark content July 8 and 9, Disney XD will feature ten hours of shark stuff July 3-7, and Disney Junior will do so July 3-9.
Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior and Nat Geo Kids’ YouTube channels will all have shark-themed shorts beginning July 3.
ABC’s owned stations will feature Sharkfest content from the past year.
Disney Plus and Hulu will stream every Sharkfest premiere. There are over 22 hours of original programming in this summer’s event, and more than 50 hours of what Nat Geo calls enhanced content.
Sharkfest ventures from Australia to the Bahamas, South Africa, and Indonesia, among other nations. Stateside, Sharkfest stops in Hawaii, Cape Cod, MA, Florida and New York, among other destinations.
Premiering July 2 on National Geographic, Disney Plus and Hulu are Bull Shark Bandits, Shark Eat Shark and Saved From a Shark. July 3 features six-episode When Sharks Attack 360, Return of the White Shark and Bull Shark vs. Hammerhead.
Other Sharkfest highlights include Shark Below Zero on July 5, eight-episode When Sharks Attack … and Why, premiering July 6, and Sharks vs. Dolphins: Bahamas Battleground on July 10.
Broadcasting & Cable Newsletter
The smarter way to stay on top of broadcasting and cable industry. Sign up below
Sharkfest has been going on for 11 years. Last year, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Mundo, Disney Plus, Hulu, ABC and ESPN partnered with Nat Geo on Sharkfest.
In other shark-related summer TV events, Shark Week starts on Discovery July 23. Jason Momoa hosts the 35th edition of Shark Week. “My love of sharks came long before my time as Aquaman — it began several generations before me,” said the actor at the Warner Bros. Discovery upfront presentation.
Discovery has not yet shared programming plans for the summer event.
Michael Malone is content director at B+C and Multichannel News. He joined B+C in 2005 and has covered network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television, including writing the "Local News Close-Up" market profiles. He also hosted the podcasts "Busted Pilot" and "Series Business." His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The L.A. Times, The Boston Globe and New York magazine.