Here are some fun facts about the show Shark Tank I have learned through my research as I get ready the open call in Charlotte, NC. The show first aired on ABC in 2009. The 2016-2017 season marks its 8th year. There are currently 6 Sharks. There are 4 that have been on since the first season, Kevin O’Leary, Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John, Robert Herjavec. Mark Cuban transitioned from guest to main cast in season 3. Lori Greiner transitioned from guest to main cast in season 4. Of the 100,000 applications (both online or open call) only 100 are selected for the approximate 31 episode season. That’s 1 out of 1,000 or 0.1% chance. Slim. Each entrepreneur pitches for about 1-1.5 hours in front of the sharks. Only 10 minutes is actually used for the final show. There is no guarantee that once a pitch has been taped, that is will make the on-air episode. Of all the deals that are agreed upon with the Sharks, only 1/3 get done. That means about 66% of the deals die during the due diligence phase. Regardless of the odds or hours, I’m still preparing for the open call later this month. Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Thanks to Wikipedia and Mental_Floss for the facts. The business I own is http://www.FranFinders.com