NBC has officially announced its 2025–2026 fall primetime schedule, showcasing a strategic mix of returning fan-favorites, ambitious new series, and a landmark deal marking the long-awaited return of the NBA to network television. With a programming strategy centered on consistency, high-impact live events, and innovative new formats, NBC solidifies its place as a broadcast leader heading into the new season.
Beginning in October, NBCUniversal will launch its 11-year partnership with the NBA and WNBA, broadcasting regular-season and playoff games across NBC and Peacock. Monday night games will stream exclusively on Peacock, while NBC and Peacock will co-broadcast regional doubleheaders on Tuesdays, followed by the debut of Sunday Night Basketball in 2026. The deal creates three consecutive nights of national basketball coverage across NBC platforms, with WNBA coverage and playoffs set to begin in spring 2026. NBC’s signature Sunday Night Football also returns this fall, continuing its reign as primetime television’s No. 1 show.
Among the most high-profile scripted debuts is the comedy The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, starring Tracy Morgan and Daniel Radcliffe. Executive produced by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, the series follows a disgraced former football star trying to repair his image. The cast also includes Erika Alexander, Bobby Moynihan, Precious Way, and Jalyn Hall. NBC’s rolling development model also includes the comedy pilots Stumble from Trial & Error creators Jeff and Liz Astrof and an untitled workplace comedy from Sierra Teller Ornelas (Superstore, Brooklyn Nine-Nine).
Returning sitcoms Happy’s Place and St. Denis Medical—both major freshman successes with a combined reach of nearly 52 million viewers across platforms—are back for a second season. St. Denis Medical will return Mondays in November, while Happy’s Place anchors NBC’s Friday night comedy lineup.
NBC's drama slate continues to be driven by proven franchises and breakout sophomore hits. The powerhouse #OneChicago trio—Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, and Chicago P.D.—holds down Wednesday nights. On Thursdays, Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU return alongside The Hunting Party, which stars Melissa Roxburgh and reached 27 million viewers in its first season. The cerebral medical drama Brilliant Minds, starring Zachary Quinto, also returns after attracting 31 million viewers across platforms.
In the unscripted space, NBC introduces On Brand with Jimmy Fallon, a high-stakes competition series in which Fallon starts a creative marketing agency and fills it with the most ambitious and imaginative talents he can find. With brand collaborations, creative challenges, and Fallon’s signature humor, the show promises to be a fresh take on business-based competition. The format will be licensed globally by NBCUniversal Formats.
NBC’s Emmy-winning juggernaut The Voice returns this fall with Michael Bublé, Snoop Dogg, Niall Horan, and Reba McEntire back in the coaches’ chairs for Season 28. Also coming this season is Surviving Earth, an eight-part event series that takes viewers back to prehistoric times to explore how life on Earth survived mass extinction events. Produced in partnership with UK-based Loud Minds, the show uses cutting-edge digital effects to reimagine a world shaped by meteors, volcanic eruptions, and shifting continents.
NBC also remains a leader in live events and holiday specials. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade returns on November 27, following its record-breaking 2024 edition. Other holiday favorites back this year include The National Dog Show Presented by Purina, Christmas in Rockefeller Center, and animated classics like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.
NBC ends the 2024–25 season on a high note, with Sunday Night Football topping total viewers for the 14th straight year, The Voice holding its crown as the most-watched alternative series for six seasons running, and The Americas debuting as the No. 1 new alternative series. Meanwhile, Saturday Night Live celebrated its 50th anniversary with a record-breaking live special watched by 21 million viewers.
NBC Fall 2025–26 Primetime Schedule (ET/PT)
(New series in UPPER CASE)
Monday
8–10 PM – The Voice
10–11 PM – Brilliant Minds
Tuesday (September)
8–10 PM – The Voice
10–11 PM – ON BRAND WITH JIMMY FALLON
Tuesday (October)
8–11 PM – NBA
Wednesday
8–9 PM – Chicago Med
9–10 PM – Chicago Fire
10–11 PM – Chicago P.D.
Thursday
8–9 PM – Law & Order
9–10 PM – Law & Order: SVU
10–11 PM – The Hunting Party
Friday
8–9 PM – ON BRAND WITH JIMMY FALLON
9–11 PM – Dateline NBC
Saturday
7–7:30 PM – Big Ten / Notre Dame Pregame
7:30–11 PM – Big Ten Saturday Night / Notre Dame Football
Sunday
7–8:20 PM – Football Night in America
8:20–11 PM – NBC Sunday Night Football
