As Shark Tank India turns five, Sony bets on scale across TV, OTT and connected screens

What began as a niche reality format centred on business pitches and investment negotiations has, over time, expanded its reach in India’s television landscape. Startup-led reality show Shark Tank India, once largely associated with business news audiences, has moved into mainstream entertainment slots, where terms such as 'equity', 'EBITDA' and 'valuation', once confined to boardrooms and business pages, are now heard in prime-time conversations, delivered straight from the sharks themselves alongside familiar elements of popular television.

Since its Indian debut on December 20, 2021, Shark Tank India has evolved across four seasons, from a straightforward format adaptation to a recognisable property for a wider audience. 

The show has contributed to greater visibility for startup-related conversations around entrepreneurship. Its viewership today extends beyond founders and investors to include students, early-stage entrepreneurs, and general audiences, drawn both by the pitches and the on-screen dynamics of the investors.

As the show returns for its fifth season on Sony Entertainment Television and Sony LIV, premiering on January 5, 2026, the format finds itself at an interesting crossroads—balancing business insight with entertainment and brand partnerships.

This season sees OPPO and Canva come on board as the title sponsor. The show is also powered by Lahori Zeera and Adobe Acrobat, with Fixderma joining as a partner. 

Why does Shark Tank India return to both TV and digital this season?

According to Ranjana Mangala, EVP and head of ad revenue at Sony LIV, the shift to a dual-platform strategy this year was driven by experimentation rather than nostalgia. “We live in a world where fixed formulas don’t always work,” she says. “There’s disruption, but there’s also opportunity. Unless you experiment, you don’t know what truly fits.”

Shark Tank India Season 4 was the first to be a digital-only season. Mangala explains that the data now no longer supports a binary choice between television and digital. Connected TV adoption is at an all-time high, internet penetration continues to grow, and television still shows meaningful growth in specific states and markets. 

“It’s a fairly large country for us to settle on a fixed formula so quickly,” she notes, adding that Sony’s strength lies in having both a strong television network and a scaled OTT platform.

Rather than positioning TV and OTT as competing channels, Shark Tank India now premieres simultaneously on both, allowing Sony to maximise its reach while catering to digital-first, more engaged audiences.

Ad interest across TV and digital

Shark Tank India’s dual-platform approach also reflects nuanced advertiser dynamics. According to Mangala, television and digital are sold separately, catering to different audience behaviours. 

Television remains a mass media channel, while OTT engages a slightly more evolved, predictive-viewing audience. Both platforms play significant roles in attracting brands, though OTT tends to skew higher for a show like Shark Tank, given its design and digital-first consumption.

In terms of categories, technology and device brands are seeing strong traction this season, with OPPO as the main sponsor and Canva and Adobe aligning through the co-presenting slots. 

Emerging segments are gaining traction this year

The show is drawing brands from tech, AI, and design, with OPPO as the main sponsor and Canva, Adobe, and others joining. Beauty and personal care are also seeing strong interest, while beverages remain stable. 

Mangala notes the curated mix reflects the show’s format and audience, highlighting how innovation and lifestyle categories are increasingly shaping advertising on reality TV.

Revenue and subscriber growth

Sony LIV has seen all-time high renewal rates and strong subscription growth, driven by its mix of reality shows, including Shark Tank India, KBC, and MasterChef. While revenue attribution to a single show is challenging, the platform notes that its overall digital growth continues to accelerate, reflecting expanding audience engagement across content.

From South India to global: How Shark Tank India’s reach and sponsorship have evolved

Shark Tank India’s audience and advertiser base have diversified significantly since Season 1, when most sponsors were concentrated in Bangalore, such as Acko and Cashfree.

Today, brands from across India—including Punjab and Delhi—as well as global players like Canva and Adobe, are engaging with the show.

Sony LIV notes that the show remains one of its most profitable reality shows, with investments reflecting the programme’s broad reach and enduring appeal.

How brands see Shark Tank India in their media mix

For brands, the reality TV show offers more than mere visibility—it provides access to engaged, high-quality audiences alongside deep storytelling. Ritesh Aggarwal, Founder and CEO of OYO, underscores that Shark Tank India offers more than just large viewership numbers. 

“The show combines entrepreneurs’ background stories, their reasons for coming to the tank, outcomes, and follow-up stories of impact,” he explains. For brands seeking high-quality, meaningful engagement, Aggarwal considers it one of the best platforms, blending depth with reach in a way few shows can.

Shaily Mehrotra, CEO and founder of Fixderma India, highlights that the platform is not just for brand promotion but also for mentorship and showcasing the hard work, resilience, and long-term journey of businesses, qualities that resonate with viewers and partners alike.

Goldee Patnaik, head of communications at OPPO India, emphasises Shark Tank’s appeal across demographics, from metropolitan youth to small-town innovators. She points to the show’s simplicity, relatability, and emotional storytelling, noting that it builds a community of followers who believe in the dreams of the entrepreneurs featured. 

For OPPO, the partnership goes beyond logo placement, serving as a meaningful intervention to amplify these real stories.

Shubhika Jain, India brand lead at Canva, adds that the show aligns with their brand values of innovation, problem-solving, and creative thinking. Shark Tank India offers a platform to support founders and creators meaningfully, enabling brands like Canva to become part of India’s growing startup ecosystem.