It’s everybody’s favorite time of year! Well, at least for nature lovers. Discovery is about to take over television because Shark Week is upon us, and the 2026 edition of the beloved event promises to give viewers everything and more!
To start, comedian Ken Jeong will join forces with artist Rei Ami to begin the celebrations with K-Pop Shark Heroes. According to Discovery, the show aims to change the “perception of sharks in East Asia and across the globe.”
There’s also Expedition Unknown: Shark Secrets, where explorer Josh Gates will investigate the first-ever recorded shark attack. In Ultimate Shark Dive, a famous diver, Molly Carson, will dive into shark-infested waters. Sharks galore!
Needless to say, there’s no shortage of content for Shark Week 2026. This year’s programming may feel overwhelming, but DECIDER’s got you covered with all the information about Shark Week 2026. From schedule to streaming info, here’s everything you need to know.
What Time Does Shark Week Start?
Shark Week coverage begins July 26 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the Discovery Channel. New specials will air daily starting at 8:00 p.m. ET.
How To Watch Shark Week 2026 For Free:
If you have a valid cable login, you can watch Shark Week live on the Discovery Channel or the Discovery website. Clips of Shark Week programming can also be found on the network’s YouTube page. Another option is DIRECTV.
The only way to watch shows airing live without cable is by using a live TV streaming service. Our favorite is DIRECTV, which comes with a five-day free trial before payment begins.
DIRECTV offers a number of flexible subscription options, including Genre Packs, so you can best choose which streaming plans fit your needs and budget. Packs start at $19.99/month.
Shark Week 2026 Schedule:
Here’s the full schedule for Shark Week 2026:
Sunday, July 26
- K-Pop Shark Heroes premieres at 8 p.m. ET/PT
- Air Jaws: Red, White & Breach premieres at 9 p.m. ET/PT
- Invasion of the Mega Sharks premieres at 10 p.m. ET/PT
Monday, July 27
- Bull Shark Dinner Bell premieres at 8 p.m. ET/PT
- House of Sharks premieres at 9 p.m. ET/PT
- Biggest Mako on Earth premieres at 10 p.m. ET/PT
Tuesday, July 28
- Jurassic Sharks premieres at 8 p.m. ET/PT
- Jaws vs. Orca premieres at 9 p.m. ET/PT
- Chum Island: Catching A Killer premieres at 10 p.m. ET/PT
Wednesday, July 29
- Expedition X: Atomic Sharks premieres at 8 p.m. ET/PT
- Expedition Unknown: Shark Secrets premieres at 9 p.m. ET/PT
- Alien Sharks: Untamed America premieres at 10 p.m. ET/PT
Thursday, July 30
- What Shark Attacked? premieres at 8 p.m. ET/PT
- How to Train a Great White premieres at 9 p.m. ET/PT
- Ultimate Shark Dive premieres at 10 p.m. ET/PT
Friday, July 31
- Secrets of the Great White Kill premieres at 8 p.m. ET/PT
- Sharkzilla Takes New York premieres at 9 p.m. ET/PT
- My Strange Shark Addiction premieres at 10 p.m. ET/PT
Saturday, August 1
- Great White Highway premieres at 8 p.m. ET/PT
- Thresher Shark: Stun to Kill premieres at 9 p.m. ET/PT
How To Watch Shark Week 2026 Without Cable For Free:
If you don’t have a cable login, you can stream Shark Week live with an active subscription to Philo, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, or Sling TV. YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV all offer free trials for new subscribers.
Philo is available for $25/month (and offers a seven-day free trial) or $33/month (includes discovery+, AMC+, and HBO Max).
Can I Watch Shark Week on HBO Max?
Yep! Shark Week content is available for next-day streaming on HBO Max and discovery+ (which offers a free trial).
If you’re new to HBO Max, you can sign up for as low as $10.99/month with ads, but an ad-free subscription will cost $18.49/month.
If you want to stream even more and save a few bucks a month while you’re at it, we recommend subscribing to one of the discounted Disney+ Bundles with Hulu and HBO Max. With ads, the bundle costs $19.99/month and without ads, $32.99/month.
