Law & Order season 26 debuts Oct. 8 on NBC, with next-day Peacock streaming and no set Australia plan

Reid Scott, who plays Detective Vincent Riley, is leaving the series imminently, while James Badge Dale joins the cast at some point this season, TechRadar reports. The returning cast includes Mariska Hargitay as Captain Olivia Benson, Ice-T as Sergeant Odafin "Fin" Tutuola, Peter Scanavino as Assistant District Attorney Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr., Octavio Pisano as Detective Joe Velasco, Kevin Kane as Detective Terry Bruno, Juliana Aidén Martinez as Junior Detective Kate Silva and Kelli Giddish as Sergeant Amanda Rollins.

TechRadar, citing the season trailer, says District Attorney Nicholas Baxter will remind colleagues of the need to protect New Yorkers and to draw a line between right and wrong. The trailer also shows Lieutenant Jessica Brady interrogating suspects and Detective Theo Walker in a high-speed chase that could end in gunfire, with Benson focused on the fight for justice and Riley aiming to win at any cost.

In the United States, viewers with cable can watch on NBC. Those without it can stream NBC through YouTube TV, Fubo or Sling, all of which carry free trials, and episodes reach Peacock the next day. TechRadar describes a way to get Peacock for $1 instead of the usual $12.99: a 30-day Walmart+ trial for $1 that includes a choice of Paramount+ or Peacock, with Peacock the required option for the show.

Canadian viewers get the same schedule as the US, with episodes on CityTV each Thursday at 10pm ET/PT. In the UK, the season is set to appear on NOW or Sky Witness, but TechRadar says British viewers will likely have to wait until 2027; earlier seasons are already on NOW and Sky, where subscriptions start at £4.99 a month with ads and can be bundled with Sky Stream. Australia has no release plan or broadcaster lined up, though past seasons aired on 7Plus and episodes may be purchasable through services such as Apple TV, with a chance the show later lands on Channel 10.

For viewers travelling abroad, TechRadar says geo-restrictions block the usual streams and recommends a VPN, software that changes a device's IP address so on-demand content or live TV can be accessed as if the user were at home. TechRadar states that it reviews VPN providers regularly and names NordVPN as its number one choice, currently offered at 75 percent off with three extra months free and described as able to unlock Peacock.