NBC has aired Law & Order: SVU since the series premiered in 1999.
The show debuted on NBC on September 20, 1999, as the first spin-off of Dick Wolf’s Law & Order franchise. It follows detectives and prosecutors handling sex-related crimes in New York City, with stories often adapted from real cases reported in the news.
NBC’s long association with SVU helped make the program one of American television’s most enduring prime-time dramas. Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benson became the series’ central character, while the cast changed substantially over the years as actors including Christopher Meloni, Richard Belzer, Ice-T and Kelli Giddish joined or departed.
Viewers sometimes confuse SVU’s original network with its later streaming outlets. Peacock, Hulu and NBC’s digital platforms have carried episodes for on-demand viewing, but those services do not change the answer to the question about the network that aired the series from its premiere. Fox, CBS and ABC have not been SVU’s original broadcast network.