The entrepreneurs’ presentation area in the US reality series 'Shark Tank' is called the Tank.
Entrepreneurs enter the Tank to pitch businesses, products or inventions to a panel of wealthy investors known as Sharks. They usually state how much money they want and what percentage of their company they are willing to offer. The Sharks then question them about sales, valuation, costs and growth before deciding whether to make an investment offer.
'Shark Tank' premiered on ABC in 2009 and is based on the Japanese format 'Money Tigers', which was also adapted in the UK as 'Dragons’ Den'. The term “Tank” is a deliberate part of the show’s branding, extending the aquatic metaphor used for the investors. A pitch may end with a deal, a counteroffer or no investment. An on-air agreement is not always completed after filming, because both parties may conduct further due diligence and negotiate final contracts before closing.