SHARK WEEK Delivers Discovery Channel's Best Ratings in Seven Years
Programming included K-POP SHARK HEROES and Jaws vs. Orca among the week's top-rated telecasts.
Discovery Channel's SHARK WEEK posted its strongest ratings in seven years, propelling the network to the top spot among primetime cable networks for Adults, Men, and Women 25-54 during the week the programming event returned. Primetime telecasts averaged a 0.77 L3 rating among Adults 25-54, representing the largest year-over-year increase in 13 years and the first ratings growth for the franchise since 2023. Discovery Channel claimed seven of the top 10 non-sports telecasts of the week among Adults 25-54, including AIR JAWS: RED, WHITE & BREACH, INVASION OF THE MEGA SHARKS, EXPEDITION UNKNOWN: SHARK SECRETS, JAWS VS. ORCA, K-POP SHARK HEROES, HOUSE OF SHARKS and JURASSIC SHARKS.
Shark Week returned on Sunday, July 26, delivering its strongest performance in seven years and driving Discovery Channel to rank as the #1 primetime cable network for the week among Adults, Men, and Women 25-54.
The momentum extends to SHARK WEEK's social media channels, with the franchise delivering 230 million impressions and generating 161 million video views since the start of the campaign in May.
'Shark Week is the must-see event of the summer. We are thrilled that this year's slate of programming connected with fans across every platform and fueled the cultural conversation all week long,' said Joseph Boyle, Head of Content, Discovery Channel. 'Whether it was launching our first K-pop anthem, capturing spectacular great white breaches, or showcasing encounters with some of the ocean's most bizarre creatures, this unique blend of entertainment kept fans tuning in every night.'
About Discovery Channel
Across every platform, Discovery Channel is dedicated to connecting audiences who have a passion for adventure and crave a connection to the world around them. Popular series including Deadliest Catch, Expedition Unknown, Naked and Afraid and Gold Rush, along with Shark Week, the annual tentpole programming event, serve as trusted portals that transport viewers directly into thrilling, real, high stakes moments. Through smart, authentic characters whose stories inform and inspire, Discovery celebrates the men and women who will stop at nothing to explore new spaces and achieve their dreams. For more information, visit www.discovery.com.
Discovery Channel is part of Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD), a leading global media and entertainment company that creates and distributes the world's most differentiated and complete portfolio of content and brands across television, film and streaming. Available in more than 220 countries and territories and 50 languages, Warner Bros. Discovery inspires, informs and entertains audiences worldwide through its iconic brands and products which also include: Discovery Channel, HBO Max, discovery+, CNN, DC, Eurosport, HBO, HBO Max, HGTV, OWN, Investigation Discovery, TLC, Magnolia Network, TNT, TBS, truTV, Travel Channel, Discovery Turbo, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Games, New Line Cinema, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies, Discovery en Español, Hogar de HGTV and others. For more information, visit www.wbd.com.
The ratings surge coincided with an expanded social media push, with SHARK WEEK generating 230 million impressions and 161 million video views since its campaign began. The franchise also marked new territory this year with the debut of K-POP SHARK HEROES, which BroadwayWorld previously reported included the first official SHARK WEEK song, performed by Ken Jeong.
