Nat Geo’s 10th annual SharkFest kicks off on July 10, and for the first time, the programming will run across all Disney platforms, including Disney+, Hulu, ABC, and ESPN, as well as Nat Geo, Nat Geo WILD, and Nat Geo MUNDO. The highlight of the lineup is the popular special Shark Beach with Chris Hemsworth, which makes its ABC premiere on July 13. Nearly 30 hours of new programming and over 60 hours of enhanced shark content make 2022 the biggest year yet for SharkFest. Read on to learn how to watch SharkFest without Cable and see highlights from the SharkFest premiere schedule.
- Best Way to Watch SharkFest Premieres: DIRECTV STREAM provides Nat Geo and Nat Geo WILD, so you can watch much of SharkFest as it airs, and it has a 5-day free trial.
- Best Way to Watch SharkFest On-Demand: Disney+ will have SharkFest Shows on demand, as well as several premieres. You can sign up here.
How To Stream SharkFest Shows Live
To watch SharkFest shows when they air you will need one of the streaming services that carry National Geographic. I’ve listed a description of each below.
DIRECTV STREAM offers over many channels, including National Geographic, in their “Entertainment” plan for a price of $74.99 per month. The service supports Apple TV, iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and most modern web browsers. There is a 5-day free trial when signing up, allowing you to watch a good bit of SharkFest free. (see DIRECTV STREAM review)
Hulu Live TV offers over 60 live channels, including National Geographic, at the cost of $64.99 per month. There is no contract so if you cancel during the trial you will not be charged. The service supports iOS, Android, Fire TV, Chromecast, Apple TV, Roku, and more. The base price includes a cloud DVR and the ability to stream on 2 devices at once, but the option to upgrade to unlimited streams. Hulu Live TV includes Hulu streaming library. (see Hulu Live TV review)
fuboTV offers over 100 live channels including National Geographic at the cost of $74.99, with upgraded plans available. The service supports iOS, Android, Fire TV, Chromecast, Apple TV, Roku, and more. The price includes a cloud DVR and the ability to stream on 3 devices at once (see fuboTV review).
YouTube TV offers over 80 live channels, including National Geographic with three simultaneous streams and a personal cloud DVR. All this comes with a price tag of $64.99 per month. YouTube TV supports Fire TV, Android, iOS (includes airplay to Apple TV), and Chromecasts/Chromecast-compatible TVs. YouTube TV offers a free trial. (see YouTube TV review)
Sling TV provides National Geographic Channel in its “Blue” Package. They don’t offer a free trial, but the first month is only $10. (The normal monthly price is $40.) Sling TV is available on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and more, so it’s not a problem to enjoy Nat Geo on a TV, tablet, computer, or other smart devices. Check out this detailed review of Sling TV for more information. You can Sign up for Sling TV here.
How To Stream SharkFest Shows On Disney+
Several shows will premiere on Disney+, while others that premiere on Nat Geo will be available on-demand on Disney+ a few days after premiering. Disney+ runs at $7.99 per month. There is no long-term commitment, so you can drop the service after SharkFest and spend less than $20 to watch the entire 6 weeks. Not only does Disney+ have SharkFest but all of the following:
- Original Shows like WandaVision, The Mandalorian, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, The Bad Batch, and Loki
- The entire Disney Movie Vault
- Every Pixar Movie and shorts
- Star Wars movies and TV shows
- New Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, and Pixar movies will stream exclusively on Disney+
- The Simpsons
- Nearly 500 movies and 7500 TV episodes in all.
Disney+ supports iOS, Android, Fire TV, Chromecast, Apple TV, Roku, and more. See our guide to Disney+ for more information on the streaming service.
SharkFest Premiere Schedule
Below we’ve included a selection of the top SharkFest premieres across several channels. All descriptions are direct from National Geographic/Disney.
Camo Sharks
- National Geographic — Premieres July 10 at 10/9c
- Nat Geo WILD — August 1 at 9/8c
- Disney XD — July 16 at 10/9c
Description: Can sharks change color at will to enhance their predatory abilities? Through groundbreaking experiments, revered shark biologists answer this evolutionary question. Shark scientists Dr. Ryan Johnson and Ph.D. candidate Gibbs Kuguru hope to capture real-time pigmentation changes to understand how these apex ocean predators manipulate their skin’s dermal cells to activate camouflage.
Backyard Bull Sharks
- National Geographic — Premieres July 10 at 11/10c
- Nat Geo WILD — August 6 at 6/5c
Description: Bull sharks are invading in a big way. Their bullish behavior in oceans worldwide has made them famous from coast to coast. The seven seas aren’t enough; they’re taking over brackish waters and rivers too! Warmer waters due to climate change mean bull sharks can expand their range even further … so the more we learn about them now, the better.
Sharks VS The World
- National Geographic — Premieres July 11 at 7/6c
- Nat Geo WILD — August 5 at 10/9c
Description: Ever feel like the world is working against you? Try being a shark! These predators of the deep have some serious beef with just about everyone. Whales, tuna, surfers, swimmers, they’re at odds with them all. In face-off after face-off, sharks prove they are the ULTIMATE survivors.
When Sharks Attack (Six-Episode Series)
- National Geographic — Premieres July 11 at 8/7c, with new episodes each night
- Nat Geo WILD — August 1 at 7/6c
Description: Shark attacks seem to be on the rise in North America and beyond! But what’s causing the alarming uptick in human and shark encounters? Scientists investigate first-hand accounts, uncovering clues and details that will unravel the mystery behind the terrifying shark attack spike. The answers will impact beachgoers around the globe.
Sky Sharks
- National Geographic — Premieres July 11 at 9/8c
- Disney XD — July 16 at 9/8c
- Nat Geo WILD — August 2 at 9/8c
Description: If you go down to the beach today, you could get a big surprise! Drones are revolutionizing everything that we thought we knew about sharks. And the biggest surprise? That many sharks live closer to our shores than we might like to imagine. It’s time to look behind you; the ocean’s top predator could be much closer than you think!
Game of Sharks
- ESPN — Premieres July 11 at 9/8c
- National Geographic — July 15 at 10/9c
Description: It’s time for sharks to face off in the ultimate species competition with the greatest matchups the ocean has ever seen. In ten nail-biting competitions, we’ll prove once and for all which shark is the MVP of the open sea. The great white is favored, but can it beat the shortfin mako in the 100-meter dash? Or out-jump the thresher shark? Can it keep up with the appetite of the whale shark? An underdog might just swim into first place!
Maui Shark Mystery
- National Geographic — Premieres July 11 at 10/9c
- Disney XD — July 17 at 10/9c
- Nat Geo WILD — August 2 at 10/9c
Description: Every year tiger sharks gather in big numbers in Maui. What’s the cause? It’s a mystery that’s a decade in the making. Now, a team of fearless shark scientists gets hands-on with one of the ocean’s largest predators to find out. That means free diving, face-to-face and unprotected. But these young women will do whatever it takes to get the data they need to crack the case.
Great White vs Tiger Shark
- ESPN — Premieres July 11 at 10/9c
- National Geographic — July 17 at 7/6c
- Disney XD — July 31 at 9/8c
- Nat Geo WILD — August 5 at 8/7c
Description: The two biggest of the BIG THREE — great whites and tiger sharks — are two of the most dangerous predators in the ocean. And they get BIG, up to 20 feet and 18 feet, respectively. But can they grow even larger than that? Where can we find the world’s biggest? Two teams of scientists are diving in to uncover the secrets of these powerful and majestic creatures.
Counting Jaws
- National Geographic — Premieres July 12 at 9/8c
- Disney XD — July 31 at 10/9c
- Nat Geo WILD — August 3 at 9/8c
Description: Shark encounters off the coast of California are skyrocketing. Now, a team of researchers is on a mission to investigate a newly discovered white shark hot spot close to popular beaches and determine how many great whites are out there. Their expedition will bring them face-to-face with some of the biggest sharks on the planet.
Shark Superpower
- National Geographic — Premieres July 12, at 10/9c
- Disney XD — July 17, at 9/8c
- Nat Geo WILD — August 1, at 10/9c
Description: Two teams of experts go to extraordinary lengths to take shark science into the wild as they investigate two of the most iconic shark superpowers: speed and bite force. In California, the race is on as Andy Casagrande attempts to reveal the top speed of the world’s fastest shark. And in the Bahamas, Brocq Maxey gets much closer than most to investigate the power in a shark’s bite.
Shark Queens
- National Geographic — Premieres July 13, at 9/8c
- Nat Geo WILD — August 4, at 9/8c
Description: In the animal kingdom, males are often presumed to be the most dominant. But in the ocean, does this presumption hold water? Scientists search for answers to understand if the biggest and baddest sharks of them all are female. From the great white sharks of South Africa to the tiger sharks in the Maldives, the team seeks to uncover the ultimate rulers of the waves.
Baby Sharks
- National Geographic — Premieres July 13 at 10/9c
- Disney XD — July 24 at 10/9c
- Nat Geo WILD — August 7 at 8/7c
Description: Even the biggest, fastest and fiercest predators start as babies. Baby sharks are cute, but they need to grow up fast because out of more than 500 species of sharks, not one parent sticks around to help raise them. Sharks are found in every ocean across the planet and have evolved in extraordinarily different ways to carry their young and give birth and for baby sharks to thrive.
Shark Beach with Chris Hemsworth — 2021 Marquis Special
- ABC — Network Premiere July 13 at 8/7c
- National Geographic — July 21 at 10/9c
Description: Chris Hemsworth is on a mission to uncover the science of shark behavior and discover how humans and sharks can safely coexist. After an increase in local shark attacks along the east coast of Australia, Hemsworth seeks to understand different species of sharks and their behaviors while also exploring new preventative measures and the latest technology to help stave off shark-human encounters. The special from Nutopia (“One Strange Rock”) also features underwater conservationist and legend Valerie Taylor.
Croc That Ate Jaws Enhanced
- National Geographic — Premieres July 14 at 7/6c
- National Geographic — July 14 at 7/6c
- Nat Geo WILD — August 4 at 8/7c
Description: Around the world, crocs and gators are moving out to sea and deep into shark territory. With reports of clashes on the rise, scientists are sending cameras to investigate what happens when two of the deadliest predators on the planet match bites! Biologist and host Mike Heithaus investigates whether these predators are facing off more often than we realize and who comes out on top when they do.
Shark Side of the Moon
- National Geographic — Premieres July 14 at 9/8c
- Disney XD — July 30, at 9/8c
- Nat Geo WILD — August 5, at 6/5c
Description: The moon has an impact on animal species around the globe, but there’s never been a connection drawn between the lunar cycle and sharks. One scientist thinks the moon plays an important role in the migration and life cycle of the scalloped hammerhead, and he’s on a mission to see if his hypothesis is true. If there’s a tie between the hammerhead shark and the moon, there could be a tie with other shark species as well … with a profound impact on both shark science and conservation.
Sharks That Eat Everything
- National Geographic — Premieres July 14, at 10/9c
- Nat Geo WILD — August 4, at 10/9c
Description: Dive into the jaw-dropping stories of anyone and anything that’s found themselves prey to the deadliest, toothiest terrors of the sea. The boundless hunger and curiosity of sharks can lead them to chow down on the most unexpected things, such as big game like hippos and crocs or inanimate objects like kayaks, cages and chicken coops.
Planet Shark (Three-Episode Series)
- National Geographic — Premieres July 16 at 8/7c
Description: Sharks are one of the oldest and most successful hunters to have ever lived. With more than 500 species, sharks dominate every corner of the ocean. What is it about these extraordinary animals that make them so successful? For the first time, scientists are unlocking the secrets of sharks. Featuring newly discovered species, locations and behavior, PLANET SHARK combines stunning 4K archive footage with original content from the world’s leading shark scientists to take a timely and in-depth look at the greatest predator on Earth.
Jaws vs Boats
- National Geographic — Premieres July 17 at 8/7c
- Disney XD — July 23 at 9/8c
- Nat Geo WILD — August 5 at 9/8c
Description: All across YouTube, viral videos abound of great whites and other sharks attacking boats with a ferocity and anger that has never been seen before. The question is, why? Is this simply a case of more people having cameras to video the behavior, or is something else happening? Dr. Mike Heithaus and Ph.D. candidate Sara Casareto set out to investigate what’s causing this clash between sharks and boats.
Shark Attack Files (Eight-Episode Series)
- National Geographic — Premieres July 18 with two episodes at 8/7c and 9/8c
- Nat Geo WILD — August 7 at 6/5c
Description: Scientists use cutting-edge technology to investigate startling new theories about the world’s most dramatic shark attacks. Why are sharks drawn to shipwrecks? Are sharks entering urban environments? Are pregnant sharks more likely to kill? Can humans outsmart sharks? Why do sharks prefer to attack men? New footage, survivor accounts, and hands-on testing drive us toward stunning conclusions.
World’s Biggest Hammerhead
- National Geographic — Premieres July 18 at 10/9c
- Disney XD — July 24 at 9/8c
- Nat Geo WILD — August 3 at 10/9c
Description: Numerous reports of giant great hammerhead sharks, up to twenty feet in length, have put the actual size potential of this species into question. A team of scientists from Florida International University is now on an expedition off the Florida coast to try and find the world’s biggest hammerhead, taking them from the numerous bridges of the Florida Keys to the sharky waters of the Bahamas.
Jaws Invasion
- National Geographic — Premieres July 19 at 10/9c
- Disney XD — July 30 at 10/9c
- Nat Geo WILD — August 6 at 7/6c
Description: Big and dangerous predators are invading unexpected waters, from golf courses and swimming pools to lakes and backyard keys. Through analyzing user-generated footage, shark experts get to the bottom of how and why sharks seem more willing than ever to meet us on our own turf. In a bizarre twist, people encountering sharks in unexpected places are called to urgent action.
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