Mark Cuban Is Leaving Shark Tank After More Than 13 Seasons On The Hit Show

It feels like Mark Cuban created the hit ABC reality show Shark Tank, but in reality, he wasn’t even on its first season. He appeared as a guest judge in season two, and didn’t become a regular until season three.

But ever since season three, he’s been the face of the show, and honestly, it may not have survived this long without his presence.

Sadly, the Cuban era of Shark Tank is coming to an end after the show’s 16th season. During the All the Smoke podcast, the 65-year-old billionaire revealed he just feels like it’s time to move on.

This is our 15th year, and next year, our 16th year, is gonna be my last year. So I got one more year to go. It’s time.

ABC has not confirmed this news, but Cuban seemed pretty serious about it on the podcast. And he doesn’t often change his mind on things.

He did express gratitude for the show and its impact on people all over the U.S.

I love it because it sends the message the American dream is alive and well. I feel like in doing Shark Tank all these years, we’ve trained multiple generations of entrepreneurs that if somebody can come from Iowa or Sacramento or wherever, and show up on the carpet of Shark Tank and show their business and get a deal, it’s going to inspire generations of kids. That’s what happens, right? Now we’ve got people coming on saying I watched you when I was 10 years old. I’m like, f—. But we’re helping them right?

So who will replace him? It’s still too early to know, but some people have speculated ABC might go after Kim Kardashian hard, which would be a smart move on their part. She would bring in lots of viewers.