In which year did the BBC television series Dragon's Den first air?

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The BBC television series Dragon's Den first aired in 2005.

The British version launched on BBC Two on 4 January 2005. It adapts a Japanese business-investment format in which entrepreneurs pitch companies to wealthy investors, known as dragons, in exchange for equity.

The programme became notable for making business negotiation accessible to a mainstream television audience. Entrepreneurs must explain their product, sales, valuation and investment request, while the dragons question the figures and may offer money on their own terms.

Dragon's Den is sometimes confused with the American series Shark Tank, but Shark Tank is a separate adaptation of the same international format. The British title uses “dragons”, while the American version uses “sharks”.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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