After nearly four decades at the studio under his belt, Dick Wolf has extended his overall deal at Universal Television through 2027.
Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television currently have nine series on the air, including the “Law & Order” franchise, the “One Chicago” franchise and the “FBI” franchise. The news of Wolf’s continued deal comes one day after NBC’s renewals of “Chicago Fire” for Season 12, “Chicago PD” for Season 11, “Chicago Med” for Season 9, “Law & Order” for Season 23, “Law & Order: SVU” for Season 25 and “Law & Order: Organized Crime” for Season 4. And in 2022, CBS issued double-renewals for “FBI,” “FBI: Most Wanted” and “FBI: International” through the 2023-24 season.
The “FBI,” “One Chicago” and “Law & Order” franchises regularly bring in ratings wins for NBC and CBS, often charting as the most-watched telecasts of the night when they air on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, respectively. In delayed Live + 7 viewing, all three “One Chicago” shows rank in the top 10 across genres in total viewers and in the 18-49 demographic rating, and “Law & Order: SVU” and “Organized Crime” are both in the top 10 dramas in demo rating. Additionally, on April 4, “FBI” had its first-ever three-series crossover and reached up to 6.4 million average viewers.
Wolf and Universal TV are also behind Freevee’s upcoming half-hour police drama “On Call” (working title), while also developing Wolf’s podcast “Dark Woods” into a series. And Universal Television Alternative Studio partners with Wolf Entertainment on unscripted projects including CNBC and Oxygen’s “Blood & Money” and NBC’s upcoming “L.A. Fire & Rescue.”
“Universal Television has been my home for almost 40 years. It has been, and continues to be, one of the most successful partnerships in television, and I am thrilled that we are keeping the trains running another four years,” said Dick Wolf.
“Whether in the comfort of their home or on the treadmill at the gym, it’s a safe bet that almost every adult in the United States has viewed at least one episode of a Dick Wolf show at some point in their life. Dick is a cultural institution who has produced over 2,000 hours of television, and we are elated that he will continue to make Universal Television his home,” said Pearlena Igbokwe, chairman of Universal Studio Group. “With ten scripted shows presenting across multiple platforms and a new pipeline of unscripted series, Dick’s vision, creativity and love for television continue to be boundless, and we are proud to be his partners.”
The deal was negotiated by attorney Cliff Gilbert-Lurie (Ziffren Brittenham), WME’s Rick Rosen and Marc Korman, and Masami Yamamoto, president of business affairs and operations at Universal Studio Group.
