NBC Cancels Six TV Shows, Including “Suits,” Following NBA Deal Explained

NBC made significant reductions to its scripted lineup by canceling five shows, including Suits LA, and more cancellations may follow. What prompted this unexpected decision?

On Friday, May 9, the network revealed it was implementing major changes with the cancellations of Lopez vs. Lopez, Night Court, Found, The Irrational, and Suits LA. NBC has since renewed The Hunting Party and Brilliant Minds, which are the only freshman shows to make the cut, alongside Grosse Pointe Garden Society, which had been uncertain before its cancellation.

The drastic cuts come as NBC aims to attract more sports fans. The network needed to free up Tuesday nights this fall to accommodate NBA games following an 11-year contract worth nearly $2.5 billion annually. This deal allows NBC to broadcast up to 100 regular-season games, along with the NBA All-Star Game and exclusive first-round playoff games, including some on the streaming service Peacock and on Telemundo.

Beginning in February 2026, a second night of NBA games will take over Sundays at NBC, which has traditionally featured midseason dramas and reality shows.

“We had a lot of shows that we had to pass on to finalize our schedule,” stated Jeff Bader, NBCUniversal Entertainment’s President of Program Planning Strategy, during a press conference on Saturday, May 10. “The NBA is our top priority for the fall; it’s our biggest new offering.”

Bader discussed the criteria for choosing which shows stayed and which were cut, noting, “We examined their performance, week to week and episode to episode, across linear and digital platforms, to identify those with the strongest ratings potential.”

He added, “From a creative standpoint, the teams evaluated which shows have the potential to attract a new audience.”

Bader noted that The Hunting Party and Brilliant Minds were the shows they decided to keep because they “rose to the top” in terms of viewership. There were discussions about potentially moving the canceled shows to Peacock, but none were “saved,” unlike Law & Order: Organized Crime’s recent transition.

Bader further elaborated on the reasons behind the show cancellations.

“Suits [LA] has had a brief run, but it simply hasn’t connected as we had hoped,” he remarked. “There was speculation about why it hasn’t performed, but it unfortunately does not show potential for future growth, and those are the decisions we had to make.”

Found is reportedly still being pitched to other networks, while The Hunting Party and Brilliant Minds join previously renewed shows such as Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Med. Additionally, Law & Order has been renewed for its 25th season, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit will return for its 27th season.

A new series titled The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins has also been ordered for NBC. This comedy features Tracy Morgan and Daniel Radcliffe, depicting “a disgraced former football player on a mission to rehabilitate his image,” according to the official description.