The first episode of the British television show Dragons' Den was broadcast in 2005.
The programme premiered on BBC Two and adapted the format of the Japanese business reality show Money Tigers. Entrepreneurs enter the Den to present business ideas and request investment from a panel of wealthy businesspeople, known as the Dragons.
The UK series became one of the BBC's best-known factual entertainment formats. Its central structure has remained consistent: contestants explain their products, financial figures and investment requests, while the Dragons decide whether to make an offer. A contestant can receive no offer, one offer or competing offers.
The British programme is part of an international Dragons' Den franchise. Different countries use their own investors and presenters, but the pitch-and-negotiation format originates with the Japanese television concept. The UK show is sometimes confused with the similarly formatted American programme Shark Tank, which is a separate adaptation.