Inc13 Best Shark Tank Episodes of All Time
These Shark Tank episodes are all-time favorites and are required watching for fans of the show
Over the past six season of Shark Tank, we've seen some pretty amazing episodes, with some entrepreneurs making us laugh out loud and others having us shaking our heads while wondering--why didn't I think of that?
Today I'm listing the thirteen best Shark Tank episodes. These are some all-time favorites I really recommend you tune in for.
1. Season 5 Episode 7: Tearing Up About the Tree T Pee
Humble farmer Johnny Georges captured the hearts of Americans when he went on Shark Tank with his Tree-T-Pee, a water containment system for agricultural farming.
Georges makes a moving pitch and stands his ground when the sharks suggest that he raise his product price to earn more revenue, as Georges manufactures the Tree-T-Pees for $2.95 each and only sells them for $4.50 each.
When sharks comment that he could make much more raising the price, Georges says that the one dollar he makes off of each Tree-T-Pee is enough for him. Georges emphasizes that he wants all farmers to be able to afford his product, saying, "it's not about the money to me. It's about doing what's right."
Georges become emotional when explaining the history of the product, which was originally invented by his father, who passed away 12 years ago. Even harsh shark Brian O'Leary noted, "there wasn't a dry eye in the room that day."
Georges ends up striking a deal with guest shark John Paul DeJoria. DeJoria was eager to lend a hand to George and his inspiring mission for as DeJoria notes, "farmers are the cornerstone of America."
As Georges notes, "it's not about the money to me. It's about doing what's right." When you feel you've lost faith in humanity, this is a good one to watch!
2. Season 1, Episode 1: AVA Elephant
Tiffany Krumins was one of Shark Tank's very first success stories, appearing on the show's first episode. Krumins came to Shark Tank as a mom solving the problem of how to convince her kids to take their medicine. Tiffany's elephant-shaped medicine dispenser wasn't patented at the time (something Kevin O'Leary was not too happy about), but Barbara Corcoran still agreed to make a deal with Krumins, giving her $50,000 for 50% of the company.
Now AVA the Elephant can be found in 10 countries and in over 10,000 retail outlets, including Walgreens and CVS. Krumins continues to build the company with Corcoran's assistance, despite being diagnosed with (and recovering from) cancer. As one of the first major success stories as the result of Shark Tank, Tiffany Krumin's AVA the Elephant medicine dispenser episode is worth giving a watch.
3. Season 3, Episode 2: Cat Doodles Are No Joke
Steve Gadlin's pitch may sound like a bit of a joke, with his humorously titled business, "I Want to Draw a Cat For You," but Gadlin shows the sharks he's earning real money with his stick figure cats, which he charges $10 a pop for.
Gadlin's cat doodles end up tickling Mark Cuban, who offers $25,000 for 33% of the business.
This Shark Tank episode is a fun one due to Gadlin's odd idea and goofy pitch, which ends up winning over Cuban's approval.
4. Season 3, Episode 7: Sharks Smack Lips
Kisstixx introduces a sexy lip balm in season three that makes for a memorable Shark Tank episode when Barbara Corcoran and Kevin O'Leary provide a demo smooch to test the product.
Mark Cuban ends up offering Kisstixx owners Dallas Robinson and Mike Buonomo $200,000 in exchange for 40% stake in the company. Today Kisstixx is available in 30+ countries and on QVC.
5. Season 5, Episode 2: Breathometer, an iPhone Breathalizer
Charles Yim's Breathometer was another big hit from season 5, snagging all five sharks with the portable breathalyzer that plugs into a smartphone. Yim received $1 million for giving 30% of his company to Mark Cuban, Brian O'Leary, Daymond John, Robert Herjavec, and Lori Greiner.
After appearing on Shark Tank, Yim was able to gain an addition $2 million in funding and partnered with Cleveland Clinic. Yim expects the Breathometer to bring in over $10 million in sales this year, making it another Shark Tank success episode you may be interested in catching in TV.
6. Season 3, Episode 3: Chord Buddy, The Answer For New Musicians
ChordBuddy is an ingenious device invented by Travis Perry that helps aspiring musicians begin guitar by aiding students in playing basic chords.
Perry created ChordBuddy for his daughter when he discovered that many students learning guitar get frustrated by the difficulty curve and end up giving up the guitar all together.
ChordBuddy makes it easy for students to play chords right off the bat, which in turn lets them play familiar, popular songs and gain enjoyment from guitar playing before taking off the training wheels.
In this episode, Perry makes a deal with Robert Herjavec for $175,000 in exchange for 20% of the company.
With Herjavec's help, ChordBuddy was able to secure country star John Rich of Big and Rich as ChordBuddy's spokesperson. A true musical success story, this episode of Shark Tank is worth checking out for music buffs.
7. Season 6, Episode 6: Jimmy Kimmel Offers a New Kind of Pant
Without a doubt the funniest episode of Shark Tank has to be in season six, when Jimmy Kimmel appears to pitch his revolutionary product, Horse Pants. Which, as you astutely may guess, are pants for horses.
While you probably won't be seeing Horse Pants on QVC or a Bed Bath & Beyond near you, Kimmel's pitch will definitely be one for the Shark Tank books.
8. Season 4, Episode 8: Special Guests and Longest Pitch Ever
One of the most random Shark Tank episodes is in season 4, episode 8, when Seth McFarlane, creator of Family Guy, stops by the tank to help a pal out.
McFarlane arrives in the tank to back his buddy and horseback-riding instructor Bruce Gaither, who tries pitching the No Fly Cone (a cone-shaped fly trap) to the sharks. Sadly, even Stewie's cajoling isn't enough to convince the sharks to bite.
This episode also features another standout pitch from Michael Tseng, who introduces his Plate Topper to the sharks. The Plate Topper is a plastic storage container with a suction feature that stays stuck to plates for easier food leftover storage.
This episode is worth watching simply to witness the sparring contest between Tseng and investors, as they argue back and forth.
Tseng ends up launching a bidding war between the sharks, spending a record-breaking two hours on the Shark Tank set negotiating with investors.
Lori Greiner eventually convinces Tseng to strike a deal, but it ends up falling through. Still, there's no denying that Shark Tank has helped make Plate Topper a tremendous success story. Tseng's product can now be found in many brick and mortar Walmart locations and on Walmart.com
9. Season 5, Episode 6: Ten Thirty One Productions, Biggest Deal Ever
On episode six of season five, Melissa Carbone manages to get $2 million from Mark Cuban in exchange for a 20% stake in her company, making it one of the best Shark Tank episodes with the biggest Shark Tank deal in the show's history (so far at least).
Carbone owns Ten Thirty One Productions, a company specializing in live horror attractions based in the LA area. Sharks initially are weary of her $2 million request for 10%, but become much more interested when she explains that Ten Thirty One Productions brought in $1.8 million in revenue from their October haunted hayride, resulting in $600,000 in profit.
Thanks to Cuban's investment, Carbone has now expanded Ten Thirty One Productions across the country. Cuban also helped Carbone secure a ticketing distribution contract with Live Nation, and Ten Thirty One Productions expects to make +$3 million this year in sales. Nothing spooky about that!
10. Season 3, Episode 6: ReadeRest
In season 3, Rick Hopper introduces ReadeRest, a product composed of a magnetic clip which safely secures a user's glasses to their clothing.
This episode features a clever piece of drama by Hopper, who fakes a fall to demonstrate the usefulness of his product.
Hopper is quickly snapped up by Lori Greiner who predicts that ReadeRest will be a huge QVC success. Greiner offers $150,000 in exchange for 65% of the company, promising Hopper that her QVC connection will make him millions.
Sure enough, ReadeRest continues to sell out whenever it is offered on QVC and Hopper has made +$8 million in sales since Shark Tank.
11. Season 4, Episode 7: Scrub Daddy
Why is this episode a must-watch? Because it's the Shark Tank episode in which in the wildly successful Scrub Daddy was introduced to the sharks and to the public.
Aaron Krause delivers an enthusiastic pitch demonstrating how his lemony smiling sponge can scrub away any dish residue through its superior material and impressive durability.
QVC champion Lori Greiner makes a deal with Krause for $200,000 in exchange for a 20% stake in Scrub Daddy. The result? Since Shark Tank, Scrub Daddy has earned over $18 million in sales. The product is now a regular on QVC and is featured in Bed Bath & Beyond and Wal-Mart.
It goes to show, great things come in spongy packages.
12. Season 5, Episode 20, Featuring Kid Entrepreneurs
This episode of Shark Tank is another fun one, featuring a slew of kid entrepreneurs who show that there's no age limit on inventiveness!
This episode features a number of great inventions, like Boo Boo Goo, the paint-on band-aid, iReTron, which helps you trade in used electronics, and Henrey's Humdingers, a business selling spiced honey. This episode also introduced Define Bottle, an eco-friendly water bottle that allows for fruit infusions and other herbal concoctions to make drinking water more fun.
Seeing these young entrepreneurs strut their stuff makes this episode another great one to watch!
13. Season 5, Episode 13: GrooveBook
GrooveBook is another big Shark Tank success story, founded by married couple Brian and Julie Whiteman. GrooveBook is a subscription service that delivers users a monthly bound book of their smartphone-snapped photos for just $2.99/month.
The Whiteman team notes that users often snap away pictures on their phones and never see those photos again. GrooveBook makes it easy to show off those memories, delighting users with a monthly book of photos they may have completely forgotten about!
The Whitemans make a deal with Mark Cuban and Brian O'Leary, earning $150,000 in exchange for 80% of licensing profits. The real kicker? In November Shutterfly bought GrooveBook for $14.5 million! Groovy man!
Those are what I'd consider the best Shark Tank episodes that have aired so far. Do you have any favorite episodes you want to throw into the pile? Share your favorites in the comments.
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