Okay K‑Pop stans, this is wild (and wonderful): Shark Week’s 2026 opener is a full‑on K‑Pop crossover. “K‑Pop Shark Heroes” premieres Sunday, July 26 at 8 p.m. ET on Discovery and pairs comedian/actor Ken Jeong with Grammy‑nominated artist Rei Ami from Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters. They team up after shark encounters off the Korean Peninsula to spotlight shark conservation across East Asia and beyond — using K‑Pop’s global reach to flip the script on how people see sharks.
There’s also a fun music tie‑in: the special debuts “Om‑A‑Nom (Shark Week),” billed as the first official Shark Week song and featuring Ken Jeong.
Quick viewing tips if you don’t have cable: Discovery will be available through live‑TV streaming services that offer free trials — notably Philo (7‑day trial) and DIRECTV Stream (5‑day trial). Sling carries Discovery with a Discovery+ add‑on, and Sling’s day/week passes can be a cheap way to catch a single night.
Notable schedule highlights (ET):
- Sun, July 26 — 8pm: K‑Pop Shark Heroes; 9pm: Air Jaws: Red, White and Breach; 10pm: Invasion of the Mega Sharks
- Mon, July 27 — 8pm: Bull Shark Dinner Bell; 9pm: House of Sharks; 10pm: Biggest Mako on Earth
- Tue–Sat (July 28–Aug 1) — nightly Shark Week staples including Jurassic Sharks, Expedition X: Atomic Sharks, How to Train a Great White, and more.
Fan context — quick facts:
- Rei Ami is a Grammy‑nominated artist who appeared in the Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters (mentioned in the announcement).
- Ken Jeong is known as an actor and comedian (he’s starred in TV and film projects and frequently appears as a celebrity personality).
- Shark Week is Discovery’s annual shark‑focused programming event; this special is the block’s opening night feature.
As a K‑Pop fan, I’m all here for seeing our artists use pop culture power for conservation — and I can’t wait to hear that official Shark Week anthem. Mark your calendars for July 26 and figure out which free trial or pass works best for you — this is one Shark Week opener you won’t want to miss.
Source: Syracuse.com