Findulge your inner child and learn something new along the way by diving into Shark Week, a celebration of one of the natural world’s most endlessly intimidating and captivating animal groups, playing out over seven days and 20 specials.
Adrenaline-junkie Molly Carlson is embracing that spirit a little too literally for our liking in Ultimate Shark Dive, by attempting a record-breaking freefall dive from a helicopter into a narrow cage surrounded by reef sharks – some species of which are known to be aggressive and/or a little too curious for comfort.
Yes, one of Shark Week‘s missions has traditionally been to undo the reputational damage wreaked by Jaws, but with titles like Air Jaws: Red, White and Breach, Bull Shark Dinner Bell, Chum Island: Catching a Killer, What Shark Attacked? and Secrets of the Great White Kill also prevalent on the schedule, you can forgive us for staying out of the water for its duration (and beyond).
After all, you never know where Big Rose might be. Here’s hoping Dr Neil Hammerschlag and Paul de Gelder manage to track the supersized great white down in Invasion of the Mega Sharks. Expedition X: Atomic Sharks, Phil Torres and Heather Amaro’s study of sharks living amongst nuclear waste, and Dr Tristan Guttridge’s intelligence-testing How to Train a Great White sound especially fascinating too.
Read on as we explain how to watch Shark Week 2026 from anywhere and potentially for free. Scroll right down to the bottom for the full lineup of specials.
Yes. YouTube TV, which carries Discovery, offers new subscribers a 5-day FREE trial, which would let you watch almost the entirety of Shark Week 2026 for free.
Traveling abroad right now? You can use a VPN to access your usual streaming services from anywhere with a VPN.
A VPN is a handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it’s back in your home country and unlock your usual streaming services. The best VPN right now? We recommend Surfshark – it does everything and comes with up to 85% off.
Shark Week 2026 airs on Discovery on seven consecutive nights from Sunday, July 26 to Saturday, August 1. A triple-header of specials will start at 8pm ET/PT each evening, with a double-header to close.
The Discovery channel is available on a streaming basis from several OTT operators, including YouTube TV, which comes with a 5-day FREE trial.
Alternatively, the HBO Max streaming platform will let you stream Shark Week programming too. Plans start from $10.99 per month, or you can pay more to add live sports and bundle in other streaming services like Disney Plus and Hulu.
If you have a subscription but you’re away during Shark Week 2026, you can unlock access your usual streaming services from anywhere by using a VPN.
In Canada, Shark Week 2026 airs on Discovery to exactly the same schedule.
Cord cutters can tune in via Discovery+, which starts at CA$5.99/month.
Away from Canada right now? Use Surfshark to access your subscriptions from anywhere.
Although Discovery+ is home to Shark Week programming in the UK, they tend to hit the streaming service in dribs and drabs, instead of airing as an event.
At the time of writing, it isn’t clear when any of the Shark Week 2026 specials will be available to watch in the UK.
For now, a VPN will help you tune in if you’re spending time in the UK from the US or Canada. Surfshark is our recommended provider, and you can find out why with our in-depth Surfshark review.
Shark Week 2026 goes out on HBO Max in Australia from Sunday, August 16.
Prices start from AU$11.99 per month.
If you’d rather not wait that long, a VPN will help you tune in if you’re an American or a Canadian spending time abroad. The solution? Try using a VPN.
Shark Week 2026 comprises 20 specials, which will air in North America on the following schedule:
Sunday, July 26
8pm – “K-Pop Shark Heroes”
9pm – “Air Jaws: Red, White and Breach”
10pm – “Invasion of the Mega Sharks”
Monday, July 27
8pm – “Bull Shark Dinner Bell”
9pm – “House of Sharks”
10pm – “Biggest Mako on Earth”
Sunday, July 26
8pm – “Jurassic Sharks”
9pm – “Jaws vs Orca”
10pm – “Chum Island: Catching a Killer”
Sunday, July 26
8pm – “Expedition X: Atomic Sharks”
9pm – “Expedition Unknown: Shark Secrets”
10pm – “Alien Sharks: Untamed America”
Sunday, July 26
8pm – “What Shark Attacked?”
9pm – “How to Train a Great White”
10pm – “Ultimate Shark Dive”
Sunday, July 26
8pm – “Secrets of the Great White Kill”
9pm – “Sharkzilla Takes New York”
10pm – “My Strange Shark Addiction”
Sunday, July 26
8pm – “Great White Highway”
9pm – “Thresher Shark: Stun to Kill”
(All times ET/PT)
Disclaimer
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Findulge your inner child and learn something new along the way by diving into Shark Week, a celebration of one of the natural world’s most endlessly intimidating and captivating animal groups, playing out over seven days and 20 specials. Adrenaline-junkie Molly Carlson is embracing that spirit a little too literally…
