Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 27 release date & timing for every region, cast & characters, where to watch, and more

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 27 premieres Thursday, September 25, 2025, at 9/8c on NBC in the U.S., with next-day streaming on Peacock. NBC’s listings identify the opener as episode 2701, In the Wind, locking the Thursday slot that SVU has held in recent years. In front of the camera, Mariska Hargitay leads as Captain Olivia Benson with Ice-T (Fin), Peter Scanavino (Carisi), and Kelli Giddish (Rollins) all on deck. Aimé Donna Kelly (Captain Renee Curry) is upped to series regular, alongside Kevin Kane (Detective Terry Bruno).

Behind the camera, Michele Fazekas takes over as showrunner, the first woman to hold the role on the series, promising a refreshed look and classic “twisty case” energy. As per the People report dated September 24, 2025, Fazekas said,

“We have a new producing director. We have new cameras. We changed the sets a little bit. And [we're] really getting back into a twisty kind of case, [where] you don't know what it is,”

Expect a tightly self-contained case each week with a light serialized spine. Christopher Meloni is also expected to guest as Elliot Stabler, and Octavio Pisano (Velasco) appears in the premiere to close his arc.

Release date & global timings for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 27

U.S. broadcast: Thursday, September 25, 2025 at 9/8c on NBC. Next-day (Fridays) on Peacock. The table below represents the premiere time for major international time zones:

Cast and characters of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 27

1) Mariska Hargitay as Captain Olivia Benson: the unit’s steady center, now navigating fresh operational and personal tests under new leadership.

2) Ice-T as Sergeant Odafin “Fin” Tutuola: Benson’s field anchor, leading high-risk ops and mentoring younger detectives.

3) Peter Scanavino as ADA Dominick “Sonny” Carisi Jr.: The courtroom closer bridging SVU and the DA’s office.

4) Kelli Giddish as Sergeant Amanda Rollins: She is back full-time, a promoted veteran whose instincts complement Benson’s.

5) Aimé Donna Kelly as Captain Renee Curry: She is promoted to series regular. The command conduit shaping squad tempo.

6) Kevin Kane as Detective Terry Bruno: A pragmatic investigator returning to Benson’s core team.

7) Christopher Meloni as Elliot Stabler (guest): There is an anticipated crossover that ties SVU to the wider Law & Order universe.

8) Octavio Pisano as Detective Joe Velasco (exit arc): Pisano appears in the premiere to conclude his storyline.

Where to watch the season and current platform prices

United States - Live on NBC, next-day on Peacock (Fridays). Peacock’s current rates: Premium $10.99/month (ad-supported), Premium Plus $16.99/month (mostly ad-free). NBC confirms next-day streaming. Peacock details prices and the test “Select” tier at $7.99/month.

Canada - Simulcast on Citytv. Streaming via Citytv+ at CAD $9.99/month or CAD $99/year. A Citytv+/Sportsnet+ bundle is offered at CAD $31.99/month.

United Kingdom - New seasons air on Sky Witness with streaming on NOW (Entertainment Membership typically £9.99/month). UK scheduling for season 27 to follow local confirmations.

Australia - SVU is carried on Foxtel (Universal TV) and streams on Binge. Binge’s public monthly rates are AU$10 (Basic), AU$19 (Standard), AU$22 (Premium).

Last season recap, key production changes, and what to expect in S27E1

Where season 26 left off: The finale, Post-Rage, focused on assaults targeting female psychiatrists and included a promotion celebration inside the squad, quietly setting the board for personnel changes heading into Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 27.

Behind the camera: Michele Fazekas returns to SVU (she wrote on seasons 3-7) as showrunner and is the first woman to run the series. She’s emphasized restoring twist-driven casework with modernized sets/cameras while keeping a lightly serialized spine.

What to expect in the premiere: NBC and listings identify episode 2701, titled In the Wind, with the core squad- Benson, Fin, Carisi, Curry, Bruno, Rollins, front and center. Velasco appears to close his arc, and a Stabler cameo is expected this season. As per the People report dated August 30, 2025, Ice-T remarked,

“In the first episode, something bad happens to me and I end up in the hospital....I wasn’t in the second episode, but I’m back in the third—they move us around.”

Viewers can expect a classic hot-case launch with connective tissue for multi-episode threads from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 27.

Stay tuned for more updates.