NBC has cancelled a crime drama series after two seasons. The studio behind it, however, is already searching for a new buyer. The decision came as the network locked its 2026-27 schedule, leaving the Melissa Roxburgh-led procedural without a spot on the lineup. Yet in an unusual move, Universal Television is preparing to shop the series to streaming platforms rather than simply closing the case.
The Hunting Party canceled after two seasons
The Hunting Party, the procedural crime drama series, has been canceled after two seasons. ‘
The show aired its final episode on May 7. Despite a dedicated following, linear ratings never gained momentum. Jeff Bader, NBCUniversal’s President of Program Planning Strategy, addressed the slot when explaining the decision to move the flagship Law & Order into the Thursday 10 p.m. hour.
“We’re looking for places where we can grow the network, and that is a time period where we think we can do better,” Bader told Deadline last month. “Nothing negative about Hunting Party, but for our linear schedule, we absolutely need to try and do a little bit better there.” The Hunting Party’s ratings held flat throughout the second season. On a schedule packed with sports, that made the show vulnerable.
The show followed former FBI profiler Rebecca “Bex” Henderson as she led a team tasked with tracking down escapees from The Pit, a top-secret government prison that was never meant to exist. Roxburgh starred alongside Nick Wechsler, Patrick Sabongui, Josh McKenzie, and Sara Garcia. JJ Bailey created the series and ran it jointly with Jake Coburn.
Report says The Hunting Party will likely be shopped to other networks
Universal Television reportedly plans to pitch The Hunting Party to other outlets, with Netflix coming up as the most logical destination. The streaming service already holds US licensing rights and saw a noticeable viewership spike when Season 1 launched on the platform in February.
That streaming performance complicated the picture. The Netflix bump created a halo effect on Peacock, where the show had already performed steadily. International sales and the license fee brought in additional revenue, softening the impact of weak broadcast numbers. Sources familiar with the discussions say both a third season on NBC and a full transition to Peacock as an original series were examined seriously. After extensive number-crunching, neither option proved financially workable.
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on ComingSoon.net.
