When will Law & Order: SVU Season 25 premiere on NBC?

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit fans finally know when the series will return for its historic 25th season, and it’s going to be sooner than expected! When is the Law & Order: SVU Season 25 premiere?

Law & Order: SVU had ended Season 24 with changes such as Muncy (Molly Burnett) leaving the unit for a federal job while Rollins (Kelli Giddish) revealed she was pregnant again after aiding with a case. That promised some new turns for Season 25.

However, the series was among those hit by the long WGA and SAG strikes that put off the 2023-24 TV season. Thankfully, the strikes were handled so the show could begin production.

It was expected Law & Order: SVU would start filming in late November after the Thanksgiving break. It usually takes three to six weeks to prep production on a network drama, although Law & Order: SVU can go a bit faster than other shows.

That’s likely why NBC has announced the series will be returning sooner than expected.

When does Law & Order: SVU Season 25 premiere on NBC?

Announcing its new winter 2024 schedule, NBC confirmed Law & Order: SVU Season 25 will premiere on Thursday, Jan. 18. As usual, it will be in between Law & Order and Law & Order: Organized Crime. 

The early date is interesting as ABC and CBS aren’t returning with their shows until mid-February, so NBC has a nearly month-long jump on them. This means Law & Order: SVU will be undergoing production faster.

There’s no word on any cast changes for the series, although Mariska Hargitay will be setting a record for her 25th year playing Olivia Benson. It’s also unsure if this means more episodes than the 13 expected.

At least fans know when the SVU team is back on the job and ready to continue another amazing year for this long-running hit.

Law & Order: SVU Season 25 premieres on Thursday, Jan. 18 at 9/8c on NBC and streams on Peacock the following day.