Shark Week is back and fans can bite into a new lineup of shows featuring some of the fiercest ocean predators.
“We’re really excited about this year because this year we brought the bar even higher,” Joe Romeiro, a shark expert and underwater cinematographer, told Cheddar. “There is going to be some really exciting content.”
Advanced technology will give audiences an unprecedented viewing experience, which will feature shots from fin cameras and hidden underwater lenses, said Romeiro, who has filmed for Shark Week for nearly a decade. “The camera technology gets better and better every year.”
“People will see something there that they have never seen before,” said Romeiro.
Programming will include shows on great white sharks' feeding zones in Baja, California, a search for the supposedly extinct Pondicherry shark, and a feature on the predatory skills of Mako sharks, among several others.
During Shark Week this year, Discovery ($DISCA) and several other brands are partnering with Oceana — an ocean conservationist organization founded in 1999 — to combat the global trade of shark fins.
Amazon ($AMZN), for instance, will donate $1 for every hour of Shark Week streamed on the company’s Fire devices to the Discovery Oceana Shark Fund. Great Clips too will donate $1 for every download of its app.
Discovery and Vans also teamed up to introduce a new shoe line in honor of Shark Week, from which a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the nonprofit.
Now in its 31st year, the annual week of shark-centric programming kicked off on Discovery Channel on Sunday and will air through August 4. Last year, nearly 35 million people tuned in to watch Shark Week.
Shark Week "returns with bigger sharks and even bigger bites," Discovery said in a blog post, adding that the network "will leave no shark fan behind, bringing the Shark Week experience to viewers across digital and social media platforms."
'Top Gun: Maverick' making an estimated $156 million domestically for its four-day opening weekend. Daniel Loria, SVP of Content Strategy and Editorial Director at Boxoffice Pro, joins Cheddar News to weigh in on the long-awaited sequel and the summer box office.
The holiday weekend saw Disney+ and Netflix competing head-to-head for streaming views as the Disney behemoth kicked off the unofficial start to summer with its release of "Obi-Wan Kenobi" and Netflix responded with the first part of "Stranger Things" Season 4. The streaming giants caught the eye of Wall Street, and Seth Schachner, the managing director at consultancy Strat Americas, joined Cheddar News to break down the heavy hitters. "This is a very tough, competitive game, and I don't see it getting any easier," he said. "I think you'll probably see more consolidation."
The founder and president of Cyborg Mobile Kobie Hatcher has been on a strong trajectory to disrupt his industry with a program called The New Technologists. It's not only meant to address the diversity gap within large tech companies but also help pave the way to transform the lives of young BIPOC students. He joined Cheddar News to talk about how he's working to make a difference with the lack of diversity in tech. “There's truly no lack of talent out there. It's just identifying them and letting them know that, hey, I've been in the tech sector for over 20 years. I see you. I know what you can bring, bring it, we need it," Hatcher said.
Catching you up on the entertainment headlines of the day with "Top Gun: Maverick" soaring up to a record opening at $160.5M, Harry Styles also hitting number one on Billboard with "Harry's House," Netflix released images of Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein in "Maestro," and more.
Constituent service platform Indigov recently raised $25 million in a Series B funding round. Indigov bills itself as a constituent relationship management tool that helps elected officials improve the way they organize, respond to, and engage those they serve. The startup's services are being used by federal, state, and local governments across the country, including the U.S. House of Representatives. Alex Kouts, founder & CEO of Indigov, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
The 2022 NBA playoffs are intensifying as four teams vie for an NBA finals berth. Tonight, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors can book their finals ticket with a win over the Dallas Mavericks, while Miami will be feeling the 'heat' tomorrow night, facing elimination against the Boston Celtics.
And with the growing popularity of sports betting, the NBA playoffs offers a potential money-making opportunity for fans. Trysta Krick, host of BetMGM Tonight, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
As the holiday weekend arrives, travelers are bracing themselves for higher gas prices amid the inflation surge, but Robert Sinclair, AAA spokesperson, joined Cheddar News to discuss how the higher costs likely won't hold people back this Memorial Day Weekend. “We're near pre-pandemic levels. Nearly 40 million people are traveling. And of that total, about 35 million will be driving to their destinations," he said.
