You’re sitting there, maybe with a bowl of popcorn or just your phone, wondering what time is the shark tank on tonight because, honestly, the schedule feels like a moving target lately. If you grew up watching the Sharks on Friday nights, I have some news that might annoy you. ABC basically blew up the traditional "TGIF" routine.
For Season 17, which is what we are in right now in early 2026, the show isn't even on tonight, Sunday, January 18. I know, it’s a bummer.
The New Wednesday Reality
Starting in late 2025, ABC moved the Tank to Wednesdays at 10:00 PM ET/PT. That is a massive shift. For over a decade, we knew exactly where to find Mark Cuban and the gang—right as the weekend started. Now, you have to stay up late on a school night just to see if someone gets a royalty deal from Kevin O'Leary.
Here is the breakdown of how the timing works for the next new episode:
- Date: Wednesday, January 21, 2026
- Time: 10:00 PM Eastern / 9:00 PM Central
- Channel: ABC
- Streaming: Hulu (drops the next day, usually by 3:00 AM ET)
Why 10:00 PM? It feels late. A lot of parents who watch with their kids are pretty vocal on Reddit about how this kills the "family viewing" vibe. But ABC seems to be betting on a different audience now—maybe the crowd that's already wired on caffeine and working on their own side hustles until midnight.
📖 Related: Why American Beauty by the Grateful Dead is Still the Gold Standard of Americana
What’s Happening in the Tank Right Now?
If you were hoping for a fix tonight, you’re stuck with reruns. CNBC usually marathons old episodes on Sundays, so if you flip over there, you might catch an old Season 12 or 13 episode around 7:00 PM or 8:00 PM. It’s great for nostalgia, but you won't see the new faces.
Speaking of new faces, Season 17 is weird without Mark Cuban. He’s officially gone. It feels a bit like The Office after Michael Scott left—still good, but the energy is different. To fill that massive void, the show is leaning hard into guest sharks.
On this upcoming Wednesday’s episode (January 21), we’re seeing Alexis Ohanian—the Reddit co-founder—return to the panel. He’s been bringing a very "tech-first" Silicon Valley vibe that clashes interestingly with the more old-school retail perspectives of Barbara Corcoran or Daymond John.
Recent Pitches You Might Have Missed
If you’ve been out of the loop, the last few weeks have been wild. We saw Michael Strahan sitting in a chair last week, and the week before that had a "5 Sharks and a Baby" theme featuring a device that supposedly solves newborn sleep issues.
👉 See also: Why October London Make Me Wanna Is the Soul Revival We Actually Needed
The upcoming January 21 episode is rumored to feature:
- An e-compass for finding friends in crowds.
- A "no-swipe" dating app (ironic, given the guest shark's background).
- Customizable screen protectors.
- An app for organizing pickup soccer games.
Where to Stream if You Missed the Air Time
Since 10:00 PM is a tough ask for anyone with a 7:00 AM alarm, most people are pivoting to streaming.
Hulu is still the primary home for the Tank. If you miss the Wednesday broadcast, it’s there on Thursday morning. If you’re a Fubo or YouTube TV subscriber, you can obviously DVR it, which is probably the smartest way to watch so you can skip the relentless Medicare and insurance commercials.
Interestingly, if you’re in Canada, CTV is airing these on Thursdays now. It’s a total jigsaw puzzle depending on where you live.
✨ Don't miss: How to Watch The Wolf and the Lion Without Getting Lost in the Wild
Is the Show Losing Its Mojo?
There's a lot of chatter about whether the move to 10:00 PM on a Wednesday is a "death slot." Usually, when a network moves a long-running show to a later midweek time, it’s a sign they are deprioritizing it.
However, Shark Tank still pulls in solid numbers. The valuations are getting higher—sometimes ridiculously so—and the "sob stories" are definitely more frequent. Some fans think the show has become too "produced," but there is still nothing quite like the tension of a 10-second silence after a Shark says, "I'm going to make you an offer, but I want an answer right now."
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
If you want to stay on top of the schedule without constantly Googling it, here is what you should actually do:
- Set a Calendar Alert: Put a recurring reminder for Wednesdays at 10:00 PM.
- Check the Press Site: If you want to know the pitches before they air, the ABC Press site is where the actual producers post the episode synopses about a week early.
- Casting for Season 18: If you aren't just a viewer and actually have an idea, Season 18 casting calls are happening right now (January 2026). Check the official ABC casting page if you're ready to actually dive into the tank yourself.
The 10:00 PM shift is a pain, but the show is still the gold standard for business entertainment. Just don't expect to see it on your TV tonight unless you're watching a "classic" episode of someone pitching a better way to clean a cat's litter box.