(NEXSTAR) — Mark Cuban said he expects to leave “Shark Tank” after the show’s 16th season.
The billionaire businessman and Dallas Mavericks owner made the announcement on a recent episode of the Showtime podcast “All the Smoke.”
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“This is our 15th year, and next year, our 16th year, is gonna be my last year. So I’ve got one more year to go,” Cuban told hosts Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, both former NBA players. “It’s time.”
“Shark Tank,” which debuted on ABC in 2009, gives aspiring entrepreneurs a chance to pitch their business ideas to a panel of successful investors called “sharks.” Cuban joined the series as one of the panelists in 2011.
“I love it because it sends the message the American dream is alive and well,” Cuban said during the podcast. “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.”
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Cuban said in an email that he still loves the show and what it represents — but he wants to spend more time with his family.
This is not the first time Cuban has talked about the possibility of leaving the show. He also floated the idea in October 2022, during his appearance on the “People Every Day” podcast.
“I committed to come back for season 15 next year,” he said at the time. “But after that, you know, I don’t know yet.”
ABC did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor has the network confirmed his departure.