Shark Tank India returns for a 50-episode Season 2, clocks 3x revenues on SonyLIV

Shark Tank India blazed a trail in its first season last year. A business reality show was new for India, which had been fed on a steady diet of song-and-dance reality TV and the iconic quiz show in KBC. But, Sony Entertainment Television’s India-adapted version of the wildly popular entrepreneurship show from the West garnered massive interest from marketers, advertisers and new-age viewers, especially on its streaming platform SonyLIV. Add to that, the continuing buzz on social media and the sea of memes in pop culture proved that Shark Tank India was an idea whose time had come.  

In the 35-episode first season, 67 homegrown businesses got funded out of the 198 pitches, with sharks committing investments of Rs 42 crore. It served as a significant boost to the Indian entrepreneurial landscape, especially across Tier 2 and 3 towns. In Season 2, which premieres tonight, the show gets bigger — in terms of pitches, deal sizes, marketing budgets, partnerships, etc. — and longer. Shark Tank India 2 will have 50 episodes, with six sharks (vis-a-vis last season’s seven) loosening their purse strings. 

CarDekho Group’s Amit Jain debuts this season as a shark, while Aman Gupta (Co-Founder and CMO of boAt), Anupam Mittal (Founder and CEO of Shaadi.com – People Group), Namita Thapar (Executive Director of Emcure Pharmaceuticals), Peyush Bansal (Founder & CEO of Lenskart.com) and Vineeta Singh (Co-Founder and CEO of SUGAR Cosmetics) reprise their roles from Season 1. 

“Shark Tank India Season 1 received a phenomenal response from brands and advertisers, as well as influenced trends in conceptual advertising and marketing. With season 2, the show has already clocked in triple the revenue on SonyLIV as compared to last year,” SET said in a statement. 

Sony has also roped in a plethora of marketing partners to power Shark Tank India 2. SonyLIV has onboarded fintech unicorn ACKO as the co-presenting partner. Other series partners include Cashfree Payments (Payment Partner), which joins the show for the second consecutive season, Smallcase (Ideas Partner), and Fi Money (Money Partner). The show is also co-powered by advertisers like Pokerbaazi, EatFit, Lenskart,  Apollo 24/7, among others. Early-stage investing platform LetsVenture has also come on board as a ‘Talent Sourcing Advisor’ for the show.

Sujith Narayanan, CEO, Fi Money, says, “Over the last season of Shark Tank, we have seen how it’s influenced Indian youth to look at money much more smartly. Now everyone is talking about growth, valuations, portfolios and so on. We are excited for the 2nd season, and to be part of this emerging conversation around wealth creation. And there is no better time than now, given this newfound awareness that our audiences have on money.”

With increasing audience awareness, not only did the sharks gain celebrity status after Season 1, they’ve also confessed to being bombarded with pitches everywhere, from airports to elevators to public restrooms. Season 2, produced by StudioNEXT, promises to up the ante on new business terminologies and deal value (with cheque sizes even breaching the Rs 2-crore mark). 

But what do brand marketers get out of associating with Shark Tank India?

Ranjana Mangla, Head - Ad Sales Revenue, Sony LIV, says, “Shark Tank India has revolutionized reality shows in India. This show has presented the audience with a unique viewing experience that is both educational and entertaining. This show is an excellent platform for brands and marketers to drive deep purposeful advertising in a highly engaged environment.”

With India now home to more than a 100 unicorn start-ups, it’s only fitting that a show on entrepreneurship becomes a runaway hit. 

Also read: Shark Tank India: Lack of transparency, preparedness, arrogance, here are the biggest turn offs for Sharks

Also read: Shark Tank India’s finale episode to air today; here’s what investors learnt