No computer-generated seals were harmed in the making of this year’s Shark Week promotion, which always whet viewers’ appetite for the cable net’s fin fatales.
Shark Week is back starting Sunday, July 28, with more than 20 hours of shark programming and Rob Riggle back on board for the ultimate Shark Trip with celebrity pals.
Discovery Channel again will work with a couple dozen marine biologists and science institutions to bring new shark research technology and insights on some of the most unique species.
Shark Week 2019 will take viewers to the depths of the ocean in search of Deep Blue shark, employ the first “drone-towed” seal decoy and test cutting-edge technology for shark surveillance.
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Discovery will bring the Shark Week experience to viewers across digital and social media platforms, partnering with shark experts and nonprofit groups to deliver a 360 multi-platform experience uncovering shark discoveries and trending shark topics worldwide.
This year, Discovery teams with Oceana to help protect sharks threatened by a global shark fin trade that includes fins from as many as 73 million sharks each year. The fight against the brutal practice is supported by collaborations with major brands that raise money for Oceana’s campaigns and create content to educate fans about the need for sharks in a healthy ocean.
Discovery also will team with Ocean Conservancy again this year to help clean up beaches and inland waterways across the country. With more than 8 million metric tons of plastic entering the ocean every year, Ocean Conservancy works internationally on its campaign to stop this flow by 2030, organizing the world’s largest volunteer effort, the International Coastal Cleanup. www.signuptocleanup.org.
Last year, Shark Week celebrated its 30th anniversary, reaching 34.9M total viewers across total day. Discovery Channel was the No. 1 network on all of TV in primetime during Shark Week among men 18-49 and 18-34. Shark Week 2018 also reached 48 million users across Facebook and Instagram, and garnered 3.5 million streams across all Discovery GO (DGO) digital platforms.