It can be hard to be a shark superfan when you’ve taken a bite out of your cable bill by foregoing a traditional subscription in favor of internet-based services.
After all, Shark Week — starting July 23 on Discovery Channel — mostly belongs to those who still have a cable box or dish as part of their home entertainment setup. Online viewing options are a thing, but you can catch some of the toothsome action if you get a little more creative.
Here are some ideas for how to dive into Shark Week after cutting the cord.
1. Catch Discovery Channel’s “Sharktacular” preview.
This video, available on the network’s website, essentially amounts to a 42-minute hype reel for the upcoming festivities, but if you’re here to be hyped about sharks, you’ve come to the right place. Expect teasers of what’s to come, amateur viral videos of shark encounters and a countdown of the most ~epic~ sharks ever. The network also released an episode of “African Shark Safari” for online viewing ahead of Shark Week.
2. Head to the movie theater July 18.
Fathom events will be hosting a special premiere night at select theaters to celebrate Shark Week 2017 on Tuesday, July 18. The screening will feature the 2016 episode “Return of the Monster Mako,” involving a half-ton shark, and the brand new “Return to the Isle of Jaws,” following filmmakers at a great white shark hotspot off Western Australia.
Bonus: The event website promises a limited number of foam shark hats, which is probably the biggest incentive to get out there.
3. Download the Discovery GO app for mobile devices or a TV streamer like Roku.
You’ll need a cable login to have full access to new content and live TV. Maybe find a friend with a subscription to let you use his tablet or something.
4. Convince your favorite bar to tune in, or watch at the gym.
This advice is applicable to literally anything that requires a cable subscription, but allow me to take the time to highlight some of the more interesting Shark Week offerings, so you’re more tempted to hit up a treadmill — or happy hour.
On Sunday, July 23, at 8 p.m., you’ll be able to watch Michael Phelps “race” a shark in what is sure to be an overdramatic, semi-ridiculous hype reel for both human and piscine feats. From the offerings on Monday, July 24, we’re most intrigued by “Alien Sharks: Stranger Fins” for the punny title alone. Both the Los Angeles and New York editions of “Sharks and the City” will air Tuesday, July 25, starting at 9 p.m., and will explore the current status of sharks near two notable coastlines. (Bonus: Chris Noth — yeah, Mr. Big — will narrate the latter.) You can check out the full schedule on Deadline.
5. Give up and find other shark-related content on your favorite streaming service.
Amazon Prime offers the well-reviewed “Galapagos: Realm of the Giant Sharks,” which follows researchers trying to track sharks off Darwin Island in order to study their migration patterns. Netflix has BBC’s two-episode series “Shark,” which covers how sharks hunt, navigate the oceans and court one another. (Cute, kind of.)
Before You Go
