How long has Shark Week been on?
SHARK Week comes around every year and chronicles the lives of one of the oceans apex predators. The entire week is one of the most anticipated seven days of TV showcasing special programming dedicated to all things sharks. Shark Week has been airing on Discovery Channel for over three decades. It originally premiered on July 17, 1988, and became an instant success for the network. Since 2010, it has been the longest-running cable television programming event in history and it is broadcast in over 72 countries. In 2018, Shark Week had 34.9million viewers and Discovery Channel took the number one network spot for prime time during the annual event. The idea for Shark Week originated at a bar when executives John Hendricks, Clark Bunting, and Steve Cheskin were discussing new program plans for Discovery Channel, according to Executive Producer Brooke Runnette who told The Atlantic. Shark Week!' And somebody in that nexus scribbled it down on a napkin. You know how that is. An idea in a bar comes from many fathers," Runnette said. 2 Shark Week first premiered in 1988 Credit: Discovery  The first show was created and titled Caged in Fear and featured 10 episodes of the oceans creature. Other shows were added to the week's special, including Sharks: Predators or Prey, The Shark Takes a Siesta, and Sharks of a Different Color. The show went without a host for over 10 years and then began featuring celebrities to present the series. Shark Week is exclusively available on the Discovery Channel and on-demand on Discovery Plus. However, you can access Discovery Channel on multiple live TV streaming services including Sling TV, Fubo TV, Philo TV, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, and AT&T TV Now with a paid subscription.