Amazon Shows It Can Swim with the Sharks

Amazon has become an official retail partner for “Shark Tank,” a popular television program that features entrepreneurs pitching venture capitalists for funding.

Select startups and entrepreneurs that “Sharks” have invested in are now featured in the Amazon Launchpad Shark Tank Collection.

Amazon wrote, “This collaboration, which coincides with the premiere of “Shark Tank” season 10, provides an opportunity for successfully-funded Shark Tank startups and entrepreneurs to launch and showcase their products on Amazon.com. “Shark Tank” season 10 airs on Sundays at 9|8c on ABC.”

Interestingly Amazon propelled one Shark Tank entrepreneur to success – he  lost the competition but ended up selling his company, smart-doorbell maker Ring, to Amazon for $1 billion.

The new deal is also a win for the television program, as noted by Shark investor and host Barbara Corcoran: “For the first time ever, “Shark Tank” has a store on Amazon.com dedicated to helping our entrepreneurs scale their businesses and highlight top products from the show.”

Amazon did not say whether it would receive any direct TV exposure to Shark Tank viewers through the deal.

The association with sharks may not come at an ideal time for Amazon. The holiday shopping season is kicking off minus brick-and-mortar retail chain Toys R Us, and today came news of Sears’ bankruptcy filing. Those were no small minnows facing down predatory competitors.

Ina Steiner

Ina Steiner is co-founder and Editor of EcommerceBytes and has been reporting on ecommerce since 1999. She's a widely cited authority on marketplace selling and is author of "Turn eBay Data Into Dollars" (McGraw-Hill 2006). Her blog was featured in the book, "Blogging Heroes" (Wiley 2008). She is a member of the Online News Association (Sep 2005 - present) and Investigative Reporters and Editors (Mar 2006 - present). Follow her on Twitter at @ecommercebytes and send news tips to ina@ecommercebytes.com. See disclosure at EcommerceBytes.com/disclosure/.