BBC Two first broadcast the British programme Dragon's Den in 2005.
The series began on 4 January 2005 as the United Kingdom's version of a Japanese business-investment format. Entrepreneurs entered the pitch room seeking investment, normally by offering a percentage of their company in return for capital and the Dragons' expertise.
The launch placed business finance in a mainstream entertainment setting. Viewers were introduced to terms such as equity, valuation, turnover and profit while watching investors decide whether to make offers. That structure has remained central even as the panel and presenter have changed.
This date is the same as the show's British premiere year, but the channel detail matters: the original programme was a BBC Two series. Later scheduling, repeats and international versions can make the history seem more complicated, but the British broadcast began on BBC Two in 2005.