How Many Seasons of Shark Tank Are There? (2026)

Last updated July 8, 2026. This is a living page, refreshed as ABC confirms the Season 18 schedule.

As of 2026, Shark Tank has aired 17 seasons on ABC in the United States, and an 18th season is on the way. Season 17 premiered on September 24, 2025 and finished its run in the spring of 2026. On May 12, 2026, ABC renewed the show for Season 18, which is set to return on Wednesday nights in the fall of 2026. That means the series is now entering its 18th season.

The show has run continuously since its debut on August 9, 2009, making it one of the longest-running unscripted series on American network television. Below is the full picture, season by season, using the deal data from our own index of all 17 aired seasons.

Is there a Season 18 of Shark Tank?

Yes. ABC confirmed Season 18 in May 2026 and slotted it into its usual fall window, with new episodes streaming the next day on Hulu. The biggest change is behind the desk. Mark Cuban, the show's most active investor for well over a decade, stepped away after Season 16, and Season 17 filled his chair with a rotation of guest sharks rather than a single replacement. For Season 18, two former guests, Kendra Scott and Rashaun Williams, join as permanent sharks, and a deep bench of guest investors led by MrBeast and Mindy Kaling rotates through the season.

So the answer to the common question is straightforward. The show is not ending. It is expanding, with a wider cast than at any point in its history.

How many episodes and deals are in each season?

The numbers below come from our index of every pitch we have cataloged across all 17 aired seasons. Each line shows the season, the years it aired, the number of pitches we track, the number that closed a deal on air, and the resulting deal rate. Figures reflect the deals as broadcast.

Season 1 (2009 to 2010): 64 pitches, 27 deals, 42% deal rate.

Season 2 (2011): 36 pitches, 19 deals, 53% deal rate.

Season 3 (2012): 60 pitches, 28 deals, 47% deal rate.

Season 4 (2012 to 2013): 103 pitches, 52 deals, 50% deal rate.

Season 5 (2013 to 2014): 116 pitches, 60 deals, 52% deal rate.

Season 6 (2014 to 2015): 116 pitches, 66 deals, 57% deal rate.

Season 7 (2015 to 2016): 116 pitches, 66 deals, 57% deal rate.

Season 8 (2016 to 2017): 96 pitches, 59 deals, 61% deal rate.

Season 9 (2017 to 2018): 96 pitches, 65 deals, 68% deal rate.

Season 10 (2018 to 2019): 92 pitches, 63 deals, 68% deal rate.

Season 11 (2019 to 2020): 96 pitches, 63 deals, 66% deal rate.

Season 12 (2020 to 2021): 100 pitches, 71 deals, 71% deal rate.

Season 13 (2021 to 2022): 96 pitches, 64 deals, 67% deal rate.

Season 14 (2022 to 2023): 87 pitches, 62 deals, 71% deal rate.

Season 15 (2023 to 2024): 87 pitches, 59 deals, 68% deal rate.

Season 16 (2024 to 2025): 64 pitches, 45 deals, 70% deal rate.

Season 17 (2025 to 2026): 71 pitches, 54 deals, 76% deal rate.

Across all 17 seasons our index holds 1,496 pitches and 923 deals, an overall deal rate of 62%.

How has the deal rate changed over the years?

The most interesting pattern in that table is how much friendlier the Tank has become. In Season 1 the sharks said yes to about 42% of the pitches we track. By Season 12 that figure had climbed past 70%, and it held in that range through Season 16. The show that once prided itself on brutal rejections now closes a deal in roughly two out of every three pitches that make it to air.

Season 17 pushed the trend to a new high. It was the first season since Mark Cuban left the panel after Season 16, and it posted the best deal rate in the show's history: 54 deals out of 71 pitches, a 76% deal rate, ahead of the previous best marks of 71% set in Seasons 12 and 14. A rotating cast of guest sharks did not slow the Tank down.

Part of that is editing. As the show grew, producers front-loaded the episodes with pitches that had a real shot, so fewer hopeless asks reach the screen. Part of it is the founders, who arrive far better prepared than the early contestants did, having watched a decade and a half of the show themselves. Either way, the trend is clear: getting a shark to bite is easier in the modern era than it was when the series began.

Common questions

How long has Shark Tank been on the air? Since August 2009, which makes 2026 the show's 17th year on ABC and the start of its 18th season.

How many total deals has Shark Tank made? Across all 17 aired seasons, our index counts 923 on-air deals out of 1,496 pitches.

Is Shark Tank ending? No. ABC renewed it for Season 18 in May 2026 for a fall 2026 return, with two new permanent sharks and a fresh slate of guests.

When does the next season start? Season 18 is expected in the fall of 2026 on ABC. This page is updated as the network confirms the exact premiere date.