Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterNat Geo’s “SharkFest” is turning 10 and marking the occasion by enlisting sister Disney brands ABC, ESPN and Hulu to help air its largest programming slate ever across the most platforms it has ever been on, Variety has learned exclusively.While “SharkFest” aired during a six-week period last year, making the 2021 edition the longest “SharkFest” ever, that lineup was limited to Nat Geo, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Mundo, Disney XD and Disney+.This time around, Nat Geo is putting out nearly 30 hours of new content and 60 hours of “enhanced” programming over four weeks beginning July 10, its most-packed “SharkFest” schedule on record.
And that increased content load is spread out not just across Nat Geo, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Mundo, Disney XD and Disney+, but also broadcast network ABC, cabler ESPN and streamer Hulu, making it an historic occasion for the decade-old fin-tastic event.
Additionally, every “SharkFest” premiere will be available to stream on Disney+ as they make their initial debuts on other platforms.“This year’s lineup offers a treasure trove of new original content that dives into details on over 15 different shark species and features footage from all over the world, including the Galapagos Islands, Costa Rica, Australia, Hawaii, South Africa, the Maldives, California, Massachusetts, Maine, Florida and more,” per Nat Geo.Nat Geo’s new partner for this year’s “SharkFest” is Minorities in Shark Sciences (MISS), which is meant to “encourage diversity and inclusion in the shark sciences field and inspire the next generation of scientists.”Per Nat Geo, “This collaboration lends MISS experts — such as Candace Fields, a Ph.D.
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