BBC television first broadcast Dragon's Den in the United Kingdom in 2005.
The business reality programme premiered on BBC Two on 4 January 2005. It adapted the format of the Japanese programme Money Tigers, in which entrepreneurs present business ideas to potential investors. The British version retained the central idea of entrepreneurs seeking investment in exchange for equity.
Dragon's Den became part of the BBC's long-running factual-entertainment schedule. Its format is built around a pitch: an entrepreneur explains a product or company, states the investment sought, and negotiates with the Dragons. The Dragons can make an offer, ask questions, or decline to invest.
The year 2005 identifies the British launch, not the origin of the wider format. The Japanese programme predates it, and several other countries later produced their own versions. The title uses “Dragons” as a metaphor for powerful business investors rather than referring to fantasy creatures.