
(Photo: NBCUniversal)
This venerable show has been on the air since 1999, but Law & Order: Special Victims Unit remains one of NBC’s highest-rated series. Could the network cancel the SVU show or is it all but guaranteed to be renewed for a 28th season? Stay tuned.
A procedural drama series, the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit TV show stars Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino, Kevin Kane, and Aimé Donna Kelly. Created by Dick Wolf, the police drama series centers on Lt. Olivia Benson (Hargitay) and her elite squad of New York City Police Department detectives as they investigate crimes like sexual assault, child abuse, and domestic violence. The team includes Sergeant Odafin “Fin” Tutuola (Ice-T), Sergeant Amanda Rollins (Giddish), IAB Captain Renee Curry (Kelly), and Detective Terry Bruno (Kane). Meanwhile, Assistant District Attorney Dominick “Sonny” Carisi, Jr. (Scanavino) investigates while navigating the politics of the DA’s office.
Nielsen Ratings
The Nielsen ratings are typically the best indication of a show’s chances of staying on the air. The higher the ratings, the better the chances of survival. This chart is updated as new ratings data becomes available.
11/25 update: You can see the latest night’s ratings in context.
Note: If you’re not seeing the updated chart, please try reloading the page or view it here.
For comparisons: Season 26 of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit on NBC averaged a 0.35 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 3.79 million viewers.
Note: These are the final national ratings, including all live+same day viewing and DVR playback (through 3:00 AM). While these numbers don’t include further delayed or streaming viewing, they are a very good indicator of how a show is performing, especially when compared to others on the same channel. There can be other economic factors involved in a show’s fate, but typically the higher-rated series are renewed and the lower-rated ones are cancelled.
Your Ratings (aka Viewer Votes)
Here’s your chance to rate episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit yourself. You can see how this show compares to others here.
What do you think? Do you like the Law & Order: SVU TV series on NBC? Should it be cancelled or renewed for season 28?


I am a loyal follower of the show and love the cast and story lines. My opinion, I can’t stand the new chief of detectives. If she was added so the viewers would hate her they did a good job. She for sure is a DEI hire and is not adding any enjoyment to the show. Much better without her.
I have loved SVU forever and can’t imagine tv without it! Please keep it a part of our lives or they’ll NEVER be the same!!!
Finally Kelli Giddish is back! She adds so much to the show with her empathy and her rapport with Olivia Benson and the team!!! So happy!!! Also why don’t they have a love interest for Olivia it was much better when her and Cassidy were together!
Finally Kelli Giddish is back! She adds so much to the show with her empathy and her rapport with Olivia Benson and the team!!! So happy!!!
Why can’t Benson get involved with someone? This would add to the monotonous script. It might show a new side to her.
Unbelievable that it is after 5 pm est on Monday and we still have no ratings for the first episode of SVU. What is being hidden from us? Maybe an Anti ICE episode was a bad idea.