A Second Wave: ‘Shark Tank’ Returns to Philly for 2026 Casting Event

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 22, 2026--

After a record turnout in Philly last spring, “Shark Tank” casting producers will return to Rivers Philadelphia for the second consecutive year for an open audition of local entrepreneurs with game-changing products, services and ideas. In collaboration with WPVI-TV/6abc, The Event Center at Rivers Philadelphia in Fishtown will host an open casting call Wednesday, March 18. Casting producers from the multi-Emmy® Award-winning primetime ABC series “Shark Tank” will be on hand to hear pitches from hopeful entrepreneurs. Contestants may begin lining up at 8 a.m., with numbered wristbands distributed from 9 to 11 a.m.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260122612000/en/

Pitches are expected to begin at approximately 10 a.m. Applications will be available online at ABC.com and on-site. Successful participants may be selected to appear on Season 18 of “Shark Tank,” which is expected to begin airing later this year.

Over 900 people attended last year’s casting call at Rivers Philadelphia, and producers heard over 460 pitches. Many participants were regional, but some traveled from as far as France. This was the first step for several businesses that ultimately landed deals during Season 17, which is currently airing on ABC.

“We were blown away by last year’s turnout and the quality of the entrepreneurs that presented to us. Returning to Philly was a no-brainer, and we can’t wait to see what innovative brands and entrepreneurs will impress us with in March,” said Mindy Zemrak, CSA, Supervising Casting Producer of “Shark Tank.” Zemrak has been casting for “Shark Tank” since its debut in 2009.

The March 18 event in Philly will be one of very few open casting calls nationally and the only East Coast casting event that Shark Tank will hold for Season 18. Entrepreneurs who pitched last year are welcome to try again.

Parking at Rivers is complimentary, and a free shuttle runs throughout the day from the property’s main entrance to Riversuites at The Battery, Rivers’ boutique hotel, located across neighboring Penn Treaty Park.

Rivers Philly Success Stories: From Fishtown to the Tank and Beyond!

Multiple entrepreneurs struck deals on Season 17 after first pitching the casting team in the Rivers Philadelphia Event Center last April. Forte3D from Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, and Warrior Kid Medic of San Antonio came to Philly and left the Tank with investors.

Forte3D, the creator of classical string instruments made affordable using cutting-edge 3D printing, reached a deal with Lori Greiner, the queen of QVC. Warrior Kid Medic partnered with fashion expert Daymond John for a deal, advancing its mission of teaching kids and adults the basics of first aid during emergencies.

Bon AppéSweet, an artisanal chocolate business based in Leonardtown, Maryland, received a multi-Shark deal this season, while QB54, the backyard football game from Kendall Park, New Jersey, also appeared on the show. Both businesses first pitched in Philly last spring.

Other “Shark Tank” success stories with Philadelphia ties include Scrub Daddy (Season 4), the bestselling sponge of all time, and Reading-based Bro Glo, “self-tanner for the boys” (Season 16).

“We’re thrilled to host ‘Shark Tank’s’ casting team for the second consecutive year and look forward to again welcoming hundreds of entrepreneurs to Fishtown,” said Scott Lokke, general manager of Rivers Philadelphia. “The national exposure and potential for investment by a Shark has been life-changing for many business owners, and Philly’s talent pool is exceptionally deep.”

Dive In: Philly Entrepreneurs Pitch for Spots on “Shark Tank”

Entrepreneurs, inventors, creators and innovators are encouraged to bring their best ideas and refine their pitches as if stepping into the Tank. All participants have the opportunity to deliver a one-minute pitch about their business, product or idea to a member of the casting team.

To preserve the authenticity and integrity of “Shark Tank”’s on-camera pitches, the Sharks do not participate in casting calls. Only individuals auditioning may attend the open call; no audience members are permitted.

In 2024, “Shark Tank” won its fifth Emmy Award for Outstanding Structured Reality Program. Season 17 is currently airing in Philadelphia on WPVI-TV/6abc on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET. Past seasons of the highly acclaimed series are available to stream on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the U.S.

ABOUT SHARK TANK
"Shark Tank," the critically acclaimed and multi-Emmy® Award-winning business-themed unscripted series that celebrates entrepreneurship in America, returns to ABC this fall for its 17th season. The hit reality show that has become a culturally defining series and inspires a nation to dream bigger has amassed an amazing $8 billion in retail sales from deals offered in the Tank. The Sharks – tough, self-made, multimillionaire and billionaire tycoons – continue their search to invest in the best businesses and products that America has to offer. The Sharks will once again give people from all walks of life the chance to chase the American dream and potentially secure business deals that could make them millionaires.

ABOUT RIVERS PHILADELPHIA
Located along the Delaware River waterfront in Fishtown, Rivers Philadelphia features more than 1,500 slots, 70 table games, 47 hybrid and automated gaming seats, a 28-table poker room, and a designated sportsbook area for live sports betting. Dining options in the Marketplace include Rita’s Italian Ice, Dunkin’, Sapore Slice and a grab-and-go deli. Rivers Philadelphia also offers an array of distinctive restaurants and bars — among them are Sapore, a welcoming Italian kitchen; Mian, featuring authentic Asian cuisine; and FLIPT, which serves classic burgers and shakes. Guests can enjoy riverfront views, live performances in The Event Center, free parking and daily promotions and giveaways. Riversuites at The Battery is Rivers Philadelphia’s luxury boutique hotel. For additional information and current offers, please visit Rivers Philadelphia’s website.

Casting producers for the Emmy Award-winning prime-time ABC-TV show “Shark Tank” will hold an open casting call at Rivers Philadelphia on Wednesday, March 18.

BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s parliament on Friday elected Min Aung Hlaing, a general who ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government in 2021 and kept an iron grip on power for the past five years, as the country’s new president.

The move marks a nominal return to an elected government but is widely considered as an effort to keep the army in power after an election organized by the military that opponents and independent observers deemed neither free nor fair.

Transitioning to an elected government is also seen as a way to improve frosty relations with Asian neighbors following the military takeover. China and Russia have supported the military administration, while Western powers imposed sanctions.

Min Aung Hlaing was one of three nominees for the president’s post, but was virtually guaranteed the job as lawmakers from military-backed parties and appointed members from the army hold a commanding majority in parliament.

The vote was held in the newly renovated parliament building in the capital, Naypyitaw, which was damaged in last year’s earthquake.

Aung Lin Dwe, speaker of parliament’s combined upper and lower house, announced that Min Aung Hlaing won 429 out of the 584 votes.

The two runners-up become vice presidents. Nyo Saw, a former general, had served as an adviser to Min Aung Hlaing, and Nan Ni Ni Aye, an ethnic Karen politician from the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party, will be the country’s first female vice president. They are expected to be inaugurated next week.

Min Aung Hlaing, who holds the rank of senior general, had earlier relinquished his post of commander-in-chief because the constitution prohibits the president from simultaneously holding the top military position. A close aide, Gen. Ye Win Oo, took over the powerful job.

The 69-year-old Min Aung Hlaing had been the military chief since 2011. Under the military-imposed constitution, he held significant powers even before overthrowing Suu Kyi’s government.

Parliament members were elected in three phases in December and January. Major opposition parties, including Suu Kyi’s former ruling National League for Democracy, were either blocked from running or refused to compete under conditions they deemed unfair. Suu Kyi, 80, is serving a 27-year prison term on charges widely viewed as politically motivated.

Myanmar was under military rule from 1962 until 2016, when Suu Kyi’s party came to power, and won an even greater mandate in the 2020 general election. The army took seized control in 2021, before the new Parliament could convene.

Peaceful protests against military rule were put down with deadly force, pushing pro-democracy activists to turn to armed resistance and ally themselves with ethnic minority groups who have been battling for greater autonomy for decades.

Much of the country has been enmeshed in a bloody civil war. Security concerns meant voting in the recent election could be held in only 263 of the country’s 330 townships.

“If Min Aung Hlaing thinks that an official civilian title will shield him from prosecution for the many grave violations of international law that he is accused of overseeing as head of the military, that is not how international justice works," Amnesty International Myanmar researcher Joe Freeman said in statement.

In 2024, the International Criminal Court in The Hague began an investigation on charges of crimes against humanity after a prosecutor applied for an arrest warrant for Min Aung Hlaing over the military’s brutal persecution of the Rohingya minority.

Parliament chairman Aung Lin Dwe, center, arrives for a session of Union Parliament in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)

FILE - Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, head of Myanmar's military council, inspects officers during a parade to commemorate Myanmar's 78th Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, March 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo, File)

Myanmar's military representatives and lawmakers arrive to attend a session at Union parliament in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Friday, April 3, 2026.(AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)

Myanmar's military representatives arrive for a session at Union parliament in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)

Myanmar's military representatives arrive for a session at Union parliament in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)

Parliament chairman Aung Lin Dwe arrives for a session of Union Parliament in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)

Parliament chairman Aung Lin Dwe, center, arrives for a session of Union Parliament in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)