‘Chicago P.D.’ Off-Network Rights Land at USA and Oxygen

Chicago P.D. has found two new homes.

USA Network and Oxygen have landed off-network rights to the NBC cop drama. 

The first four seasons of the Dick Wolf series will begin airing in October, shortly after the season five premiere Sept. 27 on sister network NBC. Episodes will become available on USA and Oxygen’s VOD and streaming apps in January 2018.

Chicago P.D. is the first cable sale for Wolf’s Chicago franchise, which also includes Chicago Fire, Chicago Med and the one-and-done Chicago Justice. While Fire is older, having already hit its 100th episode in 2016, it is also more serialized than P.D., making the latter a more sensible buy for cable networks like USA and Oxygen.

In addition to keeping the Universal TV drama in the NBCUniversal umbrella, the sale is also not surprising given that another Wolf cop drama, Law & Order: SVU, continues to pull solid numbers in reruns on the cabler. There have also been several Law & Order: SVU-Chicago P.D. crossovers in the latter’s first four seasons.

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Chicago P.D. will also be a natural fit at Oxygen given the network’s true crime rebranding earlier this year. The cabler has several other unscripted series from Wolf on its slate, including a revival of Cold Justice and Criminal Confessions.

While cable buys for hourlong dramas have slowed in recent years with the rise of streamers like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon, Wolf’s series have consistently found success in repeats given their less serialized nature. In its infancy, Law & Order drew new viewers via off-network airings on A&E. The mothership series, as well as Criminal Intent, continue to air repeats in addition to SVU.

Chicago P.D., which returns with new star Tracy Spiridakos and new showrunner Rick Eid, is set to hit its 100th episode later this season.