Dragon's Den first aired in Britain on BBC Two.
The programme premiered on BBC Two on 4 January 2005. BBC Two has traditionally been associated with factual programming, documentaries, comedy and distinctive entertainment formats, making it the original home for the British version of the investor-pitch show.
The channel placement helped establish Dragon's Den as a programme about business as well as television entertainment. Each episode combines entrepreneurial presentations with negotiations over valuation, ownership percentages and investment terms. The format gives viewers an accessible introduction to commercial ideas and the financial questions investors ask before committing capital.
Dragon's Den is sometimes confused with other BBC programmes because the BBC has broadcast many business and entrepreneurship series. Its international counterpart Shark Tank is also sometimes incorrectly identified as the original British broadcaster's version. The defining British programme, however, began on BBC Two under the title Dragon's Den.