Where to watch 'Shark Week' 2026: Streaming platforms, TV schedule and new specials

The 38th edition of 'Shark Week' features 20 new specials exploring shark behaviour, conservation and extraordinary marine encounters. ‘Shark Week ’ is back for its 38th edition, packed with an exciting lineup of shows. It's an annual occasion celebrating all things sharky, featuring 20 brand-new specials, fan favourites, and deep dive documentaries on a range of shark behaviours, biology and people-shark interactions. 'Shark Week' 2026 has started on July 26 and will run through August 1, with the full week being filled with a variety of opportunities for viewers to tune in and learn about more sharks throughout the week. The event wraps up with premieres of 'Great White Highway' and 'Thresher Shark: Stun to Kill', exploring shark migration and hunting techniques. Discovery Channel reports ‘Shark Week’ kicks off on Sunday, July 26 and continues through Saturday, August 1, with nightly programming. The programming schedule started with a new K-Pop special featuring comedian Ken Jeong and singer Rei Ami, titled 'K-Pop Shark Heroes', which aired at 8 p.m. ET on July 26. The special followed the two celebrities as they worked to challenge misconceptions about sharks and promote a better understanding of the species. Where to watch and stream 'Shark Week' 2026 'Shark Week' 2026 is available to watch live on the Discovery Channel. For fans who do not have a cable subscription or who cannot catch the episodes live, Shark Week is available to stream on both Discovery+ and HBO Max. The streaming options provide flexibility for viewers to catch up on any episodes they may have missed during the week-long event. This year's lineup explores great white shark migration, unusual behaviour and the science behind some of the ocean's most powerful predators. 'Shark Week' 2026 programming schedule and new specials Jeong and Ami kicked things off with 'K-Pop Shark Heroes' at 8 p.m. ET on July 26, followed by two hour-long programmes. Night one featured a new special from the fan-favourite franchise 'Air Jaws: Red, White and Breach', followed by a documentary special, 'Invasion of the Mega Sharks'. The rest of the week follows a similar format, with three programmes airing each night from 8 p.m. ET to 10 p.m. ET. Over the course of the remaining week, Discovery airs programmes from all ends of the shark spectrum, including shows featuring shark attack survivors advocating for the species, CGI estimates detailing what Jurassic sharks would look like today, shark researchers tracking down some of the most bizarre sharks, and marine biologists attempting to train great white sharks. 'Shark Week' 2026 concludes with two premieres: 'Great White Highway', which investigates how great white sharks migrate to the East Coast and lead to more shark interactions, and 'Thresher Shark: Stun to Kill', which examines the physics of the thresher shark's tail strike. The final new programme airs at 9 p.m. ET on August 1.